a quantity, such as time or temperature, that has magnitude but not direction
Comparevector 1 tensor 2 an element of a field associated with a vector space
having magnitude but not direction
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
sca•lar
(skā′lər),USA pronunciation adj.
n.
- Mathematicsrepresentable by position on a scale or line;
having only magnitude:a scalar variable. - Mathematicsof, pertaining to, or utilizing a scalar.
- ladderlike in arrangement or organization;
graduated:a scalar structure for promoting personnel.
n.
- Mathematicsa quantity possessing only magnitude. Cf. vector (def. 1a).
- Latin scālāris of a ladder. See scale3, -ar1
- 1650–60
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'scalar' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
characteristic root
- characteristic vector
- divergence
- dot product
- dyad
- inner product
- linear transformation
- magnetic potential
- magnetomotive force
- norm
- pseudoscalar
- pseudovector
- scalar field
- scalar product
- scalar triple product
- scalare
- scalariform
- speed
- tensor
- triple scalar product
- vector
- vector product
- vector space