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constant

 - 9 dictionary results

con⋅stant

[kon-stuhnt]
–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


con⋅stant⋅ly, adverb


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


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.
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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.
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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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