decimally

Decimally is a term used to describe something expressed or performed in decimal notation or related to decimal systems. While not a formal mathematical operation, it is commonly used in education, computing, and everyday language to indicate that values are written with decimal digits and a decimal point, rather than as fractions or whole numbers.

Etymology: The word derives from decimal, which in turn comes from Latin decimalis, itself from decimus, meaning tenth. The adverbial form decimally is constructed in English with the suffix -ally to describe the manner of expression or computation.

Usage and context: In mathematics and teaching, instructors might say to convert a fraction to a decimally expressed number or to round decimally to a given place value. In finance and measurements, prices, rates, and measurements are often stated decimally for clarity and precision. In computing, decimally formatted input or output refers to numbers written with a decimal point, as opposed to integers or fractional representations.

Decimals and limitations: Decimal representations enable precise arithmetic in many contexts, but digital systems may introduce rounding errors or finite precision. Decimal arithmetic libraries and decimal floating-point formats are used in computing to mitigate these issues in financial and other exacting calculations.

See also: Decimal, Decimal fraction, Floating-point arithmetic, Binary-coded decimal.