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constant

 - 9 dictionary results

con⋅stant

  [kon-stuhnt]
Use constant in a Sentence
–adjective
1. not changing or varying; uniform; regular; invariable: All conditions during the three experiments were constant.
2. continuing without pause or letup; unceasing: constant noise.
3. regularly recurrent; continual; persistent: He found it impossible to work with constant interruption.
4. faithful; unswerving in love, devotion, etc.: a constant lover.
5. steadfast; firm in mind or purpose; resolute.
6. Obsolete. certain; confident.
–noun
7. something that does not or cannot change or vary.
8. Physics. a number expressing a property, quantity, or relation that remains unchanged under specified conditions.
9. Mathematics. a quantity assumed to be unchanged throughout a given discussion.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L constant- (s. of constāns, prp. of constāre to stand firm), equiv. to con- con- + stā- stand + -nt- prp. suffix

Related forms:
con⋅stant⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. unchanging, immutable, permanent. 2. perpetual, unremitting, uninterrupted. 3. incessant, ceaseless. 4. loyal, staunch, true. See faithful. 5. steady, unwavering, unswerving.

Antonyms:
1. changeable. 2. fitful. 3. sporadic. 4. unreliable. 5. wavering.

Con⋅stant

  [kawn-stahn]
–noun
1. Paul Hen⋅ri Ben⋅ja⋅min Bal⋅luat  [pawl ahn-ree ban-zha-man ba-lwa] . Estournelles de Constant, Paul.
2. Jean Jo⋅seph Ben⋅ja⋅min  [zhahn zhaw-zef ban-zha-man] , 1845–1902, French painter.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To constant
con·stant   (kŏn'stənt)   
adj.  

  1. Continually occurring; persistent.

  2. Regularly recurring: plagued by constant interruptions.

  3. Unchanging in nature, value, or extent; invariable. See Synonyms at continual.

  4. Steadfast in purpose, loyalty, or affection; faithful. See Synonyms at faithful.

n.  

  1. Something that is unchanging or invariable.

    1. A quantity assumed to have a fixed value in a specified mathematical context.

    2. An experimental or theoretical condition, factor, or quantity that does not vary or that is regarded as invariant in specified circumstances.


[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin cōnstāns, cōnstant-, present participle of cōnstāre, to stand firm : com-, intensive pref.; see com- + stāre, to stand; see stā- in Indo-European roots.]
con'stant·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

constant

A number that appears in equations and formulas and does not vary or change. Examples are Planck's constant and the speed of light.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

constant 
c.1386, "steadfast, resolute," from L. constantem (nom. constans) "standing firm, stable, steadfast," prp. of constare, from com- "together" + stare "to stand," from PIE base *sta- "to stand" (see stet). Of actions and conditions from 1653.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1con·stant
Pronunciation: 'kän(t)-st&nt
Function: adjective
: remaining unchanged —con·stant·ly adverb

Main Entry: 2constant
Function: noun
: something invariable or unchanging; especially : a number that has a fixed value in a given situation oruniversally or that is characteristic of some substance or instrument
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

constant con·stant (kŏn'stənt)
adj.

  1. Continually occurring; persistent.

  2. Unchanging in nature, value, or extent; invariable.

n.

  1. A quantity assumed to have a fixed value in a specified mathematical context.

  2. An experimental or theoretical condition, factor, or quantity that does not vary or that is regarded as invariant in specified circumstances.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

constant

a number, value, or object that has a fixed magnitude, physically or abstractly, as a part of a specific operation or discussion. In mathematics the term refers to a quantity (often represented by a symbol-e.g., pi, the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter) that does not change in a certain discussion or operation, or to a variable that can assume only one value. In logic it is a term with an invariant denotation (any symbol with a fixed designation, such as a connective or quantifier).

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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