rounding error
"Rounding errors" occur due to the limitations of representing real numbers precisely, often leading to small discrepancies in calculations.
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Definition
C1Mathematics
(technical, academic)The difference between an exact mathematical value and its approximation due to rounding.
Example
- The rounding error became significant when summing a large sequence of numbers.
- Calculations involving floating-point arithmetic often introduce rounding errors.
B2Finance
(informal)A small, negligible amount of money compared to a much larger sum.
Example
- In the context of the company's billion-dollar budget, a few hundred dollars is just a rounding error.
- The extra cost was considered a rounding error in the grand scheme of the project.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "rounding error":
absolute errorround offcumulative errorround numberround inround upfloating pointmargin of errorrounded downrounded upin errorfloating-point number