constant

See also: Constant

EnglishEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle English constant, from Old French constant, from Latin constantem, accusative of constans, from constare (to stand firm). Displaced native Old English singal.

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

constant (comparative more constant, superlative most constant)

  1. Unchanged through time or space; permanent.
  2. Consistently recurring over time; persistent.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:continuous
    • 2013 November 16, Schumpeter, “The mindfulness business”, in The Economist, volume 409, number 8862:
      The constant pinging of electronic devices is driving many people to the end of their tether. Electronic devices not only overload the senses and invade leisure time. They feed on themselves: the more people tweet the more they are rewarded with followers and retweets.
  3. Steady in purpose, action, feeling, etc.
  4. Firm; solid; not fluid.
    • 1659 December 30 (date written), Robert Boyle, New Experiments Physico-Mechanicall, Touching the Spring of the Air, and Its Effects, (Made, for the Most Part, in a New Pneumatical Engine) [], Oxford, Oxfordshire: [] H[enry] Hall, printer to the University, for Tho[mas] Robinson, published 1660, →OCLC:
      If [] you mix them, you may turn these two fluid liquors into a constant body.
  5. (obsolete) Consistent; logical.
  6. (computing, complexity theory) Bounded above by a constant.
    constant time   constant space

SynonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

NounEdit

constant (plural constants)

polynomial degrees
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  1. That which is permanent or invariable.
  2. (algebra) A quantity that remains at a fixed value throughout a given discussion.
  3. (sciences) Any property of an experiment, determined numerically, that does not change under given circumstances.
  4. (computing) An identifier that is bound to an invariant value; a fixed value given a name to aid in readability of source code.

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Related termsEdit

See alsoEdit

CatalanEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin cōnstāns.

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

constant (masculine and feminine plural constants)

  1. constant
    Antonym: inconstant

Derived termsEdit

Related termsEdit

NounEdit

constant f (plural constants)

  1. constant

Further readingEdit

DutchEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from Middle French constant, from Latin cōnstāns.

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): /kɔnˈstɑnt/, /ˈkɔn.stɑnt/
  • Hyphenation: con‧stant
  • Rhymes: -ɑnt

AdjectiveEdit

constant (comparative constanter, superlative constantst)

  1. constant, invariable
  2. constant, continuous, unceasing

InflectionEdit

Inflection of constant
uninflected constant
inflected constante
comparative constanter
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial constant constanter het constantst
het constantste
indefinite m./f. sing. constante constantere constantste
n. sing. constant constanter constantste
plural constante constantere constantste
definite constante constantere constantste
partitive constants constanters

Derived termsEdit

DescendantsEdit

  • Indonesian: konstan

FrenchEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin constans.

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

constant (feminine constante, masculine plural constants, feminine plural constantes)

  1. constant

Derived termsEdit

Related termsEdit

Further readingEdit

LatinEdit

VerbEdit

cōnstant

  1. third-person plural present active indicative of cōnstō

RomanianEdit

EtymologyEdit

From French constant, from Latin constans.

AdjectiveEdit

constant m or n (feminine singular constantă, masculine plural constanți, feminine and neuter plural constante)

  1. constant

DeclensionEdit