The difference between Binary and Decimal

When used as nouns, binary means a thing which can have only (one or the other of) two values, whereas decimal means a number expressed in the base-ten system, a fractional numeral written in this system.

When used as adjectives, binary means being in a state of one of two mutually exclusive conditions such as on or off, true or false, molten or frozen, presence or absence of a signal, whereas decimal means concerning numbers expressed in decimal or mathematical calculations performed using decimal.


Decimal is also verb with the meaning: to represent with numbers after a decimal point.

check bellow for the other definitions of Binary and Decimal

  1. Binary as an adjective:

    Being in a state of one of two mutually exclusive conditions such as on or off, true or false, molten or frozen, presence or absence of a signal.

    Examples:

    "Binary states are often represented as 1 and 0 in computer science."

  2. Binary as an adjective (logic):

    Concerning logic whose subject matter concerns binary states.

  3. Binary as an adjective (arithmetic, computing):

    Concerning numbers and calculations using the binary number system.

  4. Binary as an adjective:

    Having two equally important parts; related to something with two parts.

    Examples:

    "Two ingredients are combined in a binary poison."

    "A binary statistical distribution has only two categories."

  5. Binary as an adjective (mathematics, programming, computer engineering):

    Of an operation, function, procedure or logic gate, taking exactly two operands, arguments, parameters or inputs; having domain of dimension 2.

    Examples:

    "Division of reals is a binary operation."

  6. Binary as an adjective (computing):

    Of data, consisting coded values (e.g. machine code) not interpretable as plain or ASCII text (e.g. source code).

    Examples:

    "He downloaded the binary distribution for Linux, then burned it to DVD."

  7. Binary as an adjective (comparable):

    Focusing on two mutually exclusive conditions.

    Examples:

    "He has a very binary understanding of gender."

  1. Binary as a noun:

    A thing which can have only (one or the other of) two values.

  2. Binary as a noun (mathematics, computing, uncountable):

    The bijective base-2 numeral system, which uses only the digits 0 and 1.

  3. Binary as a noun (computing):

    An executable computer file.

  4. Binary as a noun (astronomy):

    A satellite system consisting of two stars or other bodies orbiting each other.

  1. Decimal as a noun (countable):

    A number expressed in the base-ten system, a fractional numeral written in this system.

    Examples:

    "What is 7/23 as a decimal?"

  2. Decimal as a noun (informal, uncountable):

    The decimal system itself.

  3. Decimal as a noun (informal):

    A decimal place.

    Examples:

    "Pi has a value of 3.142, to three decimals."

  4. Decimal as a noun (informal):

    A decimal point.

  1. Decimal as an adjective (arithmetic, computing):

    Concerning numbers expressed in decimal or mathematical calculations performed using decimal.

  1. Decimal as a verb:

    to represent with numbers after a decimal point