dimension

See also: Dimension and dimensión

English

Etymology

From Latin dīmensio, dīmensiōnis.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /daɪˈmɛnʃən/
• (US) IPA^(key): /daɪ̯ˈmɛnʃn̩/, /dɨˈmɛnʃn̩/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

dimension (plural dimensions)

1. A single aspect of a given thing.
2. A measure of spatial extent in a particular direction, such as height, width or breadth, or depth.
   • 2012 January 1, Robert L. Dorit, “Rereading Darwin”, in American Scientist^[1], volume 100, number 1, page 23:

     We live our lives in three dimensions for our threescore and ten allotted years. Yet every branch of contemporary science, from statistics to cosmology, alludes to processes that operate on scales outside of human experience: the millisecond and the nanometer, the eon and the light-year.

3. A construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished.
4. (geometry) The number of independent coordinates needed to specify uniquely the location of a point in a space; also, any of such independent coordinates.
5. (linear algebra) The number of elements of any basis of a vector space.
6. (physics) One of the physical properties that are regarded as fundamental measures of a physical quantity, such as mass, length and time.

   The dimension of velocity is length divided by time.

7. (computing) Any of the independent ranges of indices in a multidimensional array.
8. (science fiction, fantasy) An alternative universe or plane of existence.

Synonyms

• (single aspect of a thing): aspect
• (measure of spatial extent): magnitude, proportion, size, scope
• (construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished): attribute, property

Derived terms

• 3-D
• 3-dimensional
• 4-dimensional
• correlation dimension
• dimensional
• dimensional analysis
• dimensional shingle
• exterior dimension
• four-dimensional

• fourth dimension
• fractal dimension
• Hamel dimension
• Hausdorff dimension
• information dimension
• isoperimetric dimension
• Kaplan-Yorke dimension
• Krull dimension
• Lebesgue covering dimension

• Lyapunov dimension
• multidimensional
• one-dimensional
• pointwise dimension
• poset dimension
• q-dimension
• third dimension
• three-dimensional
• transdimensional

Related terms

• hyperdimension

Translations

single aspect of a thing

• Bulgarian: измерение (bg) n (izmerenie)
• Danish: dimension (da) c, side (da) c, aspekt n
• French: dimension (fr) f
• Greek: διάσταση (el) f (diástasi)
• Italian: aspetto (it)

• Romanian: dimensiune (ro) f, dimensiuni f pl
• Russian: аспе́кт (ru) n (aspékt)
• Sindhi: پَهلُو (pahloo)
• Swedish: aspekt (sv) c, dimension (sv) c
• Tagalog: sukod

measure of spatial extent

• Arabic: بُعْد (ar) m (buʿd)
• Belarusian: паме́р m (pamjér)
• Bengali: মাত্রা (matra)
• Bulgarian: размер (bg) m (razmer)
• Catalan: dimensió f
• Cherokee: ᏂᎦᏅᎯᏒ (niganvhisv)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 尺寸 (zh)

• Czech: rozměr (cs) m
• Danish: dimension (da) c
• Dutch: dimensie (nl) f, afmeting (nl) f
• Faroese: royvildi n
• French: dimension (fr) f
• German: Dimension (de) f

• Greek: διάσταση (el) f (diástasi)
• Hebrew: מֵמַד (he) m (mēmád)
• Italian: dimensione (it) f
• Japanese: 面積 (ja) (めんせき, menseki), 寸法 (すんぽう, sunpō)
• Korean: 치수 (ko) n (chisu)
• Portuguese: dimensão (pt)
• Romanian: dimensiune (ro) f, dimensiuni pl
• Russian: разме́р (ru) m (razmér)
• Scottish Gaelic: tomhas m
• Sindhi: ماپَ (maapa)
• Slovene: dimenzija f
• Spanish: dimensión (es) f
• Swedish: dimension (sv) c
• Tagalog: sukod

construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished

• French: dimension (fr) f
• Greek: διάσταση (el) f (diástasi)
• Russian: измере́ние (ru) n (izmerénije)

• Swedish: dimension (sv) c
• Tagalog: sukod

in geometry

• Bulgarian: размерност f (razmernost)
• Czech: rozměr (cs) m, dimenze f
• Danish: dimension (da) c
• Estonian: mõõde
• Faroese: royvildi n
• Finnish: ulottuvuus (fi)
• French: dimension (fr) f
• German: Dimension (de) f
• Greek: διάσταση (el) f (diástasi)
• Japanese: 次元 (じげん, jigen), 寸法 (すんぽう, sunpō)
• Latin: dimensio

• Malay: dimensi
• Polish: wymiar (pl) m
• Portuguese: dimensão (pt)
• Romanian: dimensiune (ro) f
• Russian: разме́рность (ru) f (razmérnostʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: tomhas m
• Slovene: dimenzija f
• Swedish: dimension (sv) c
• Tagalog: sukod
• Turkish: boyut (tr)

in physics

• Bulgarian: измерение (bg) n (izmerenie)
• Catalan: dimensió f
• Dutch: dimensie (nl) f
• Finnish: ulottuvuus (fi)
• French: dimension (fr) f
• German: Dimension (de) f
• Greek: διάσταση (el) f (diástasi)
• Japanese: 次元 (じげん, jigen), 寸法 (すんぽう, sunpō)

• Papiamentu: dimenshon
• Polish: wymiar (pl) m
• Portuguese: dimensão (pt)
• Romanian: dimensiune (ro) f
• Scottish Gaelic: tomhas m
• Slovene: dimenzija f
• Swedish: dimension (sv) c
• Tagalog: sukod

in computing

• Bulgarian: измерение (bg) n (izmerenie)
• Czech: rozměr (cs) m
• French: dimension (fr) f
• German: Dimension (de) f
• Greek: διάσταση (el) f (diástasi)
• Japanese: 次元 (じげん, jigen)
• Polish: wymiar (pl) m

• Portuguese: dimensão (pt)
• Romanian: dimensiune (ro) f
• Scottish Gaelic: tomhas m
• Slovene: dimenzija f
• Swedish: dimension (sv) c
• Tagalog: sukod

in science fiction

• Bulgarian: измерение (bg) n (izmerenie)
• Catalan: dimensió f
• Danish: dimension (da) c
• Finnish: ulottuvuus (fi), dimensio (fi)
• French: dimension (fr) f
• German: Dimension (de) f
• Greek: διάσταση (el) f (diástasi)
• Japanese: 次元 (じげん, jigen), 寸法 (すんぽう, sunpō)

• Norwegian: dimensjon
• Polish: wymiar (pl) m
• Portuguese: dimensão (pt)
• Romanian: dimensiune (ro) f
• Slovene: dimenzija f
• Swedish: dimension (sv) c
• Tagalog: sukod
• Turkish: boyut (tr), evren (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} dimensio
• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} dimensi (id)

• Korean: ^{(please verify)} 차원 (ko) (次元, chawon)

Verb

dimension (third-person singular simple present dimensions, present participle dimensioning, simple past and past participle dimensioned)

1. (transitive) To mark, cut or shape something to specified dimensions.

Translations

to mark, cut or shape something to specified dimensions

• Bulgarian: оразмерявам (orazmerjavam)
• Finnish: mitoittaa
• French: dimensionner (fr)
• German: dimensionieren (de)

• Portuguese: dimensão (pt)
• Romanian: dimensiona (ro)
• Swedish: dimensionera (sv)

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Esperanto

Noun

dimension

1. accusative singular of dimensio

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Finnish

Noun

dimension

1. Genitive singular form of dimensio.

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French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dīmensio, dīmensiōnem.

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /di.mɑ̃.sjɔ̃/

Noun

dimension f (plural dimensions)

1. dimension

Anagrams

• mendiions
• ondinisme

Further reading

• “dimension” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).