Mantissa

//mænˈtɪsə// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A minor addition to a text. obsolete
  2. 2
    the positive fractional part of the representation of a logarithm; in the expression ‘log 643 = 2.808’ the mantissa is .808 wordnet
  3. 3
    The part of a common logarithm after the decimal point, the fractional part of a logarithm.
  4. 4
    The significand; that part of a floating-point number or number in scientific notation that contains its significant digits.

Synonyms

All synonyms
characteristicfixed point partfixed-point partsignificand

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin mantissa, mantīsa, of unknown origin (said by Festus to be a loanword from Etruscan, but it may actually be from Celtic, possibly through Etruscan mediation).

Related phrases

floating pointscientific notation

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.