improper fraction
1
3.7
- noun
- /ɪmˈprɑpər ˈfrækʃən/
- Specialized
:
fracción impropia
- When you encounter an improper fraction, such as 3/2, it can often be converted into a mixed number.
Examples
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But for this class, we're always going to be dealing with improper fractions, All right?
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When did you last multiply two three-digit numbers together on paper, add two improper fractions with unlike denominators, or solve a quadratic equation?
Blog text (4) -
Sometimes Mr. Drummond models how to do a part of a problem (e.g., finding the LCD, changing a mixed fraction into an improper fraction), and then asks Molly to solve a similar problem.
Academic text (2014) -
An improper fraction is one where the numerator is larger than the denominator, like 7/5.
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In mathematics, 9/4 is considered an improper fraction because its numerator exceeds its denominator.
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun is compositionally built from 'improper' + 'fraction', so a learner will infer it denotes a fraction that is somehow 'not proper' or 'unusual'. However, the precise mathematical criterion (numerator equal to or greater than the denominator) is a technical definition that is not directly predictable from the everyday meaning of 'improper', so full understanding typically requires prior exposure or instruction.
Etymology
The term improper fraction describes a fraction where the top number, the numerator, is equal to or larger than the bottom number, the denominator. Because it is not a 'proper' part less than one, the word 'improper' shows the fraction is one or more, so the name means a fraction with a numerator equal to or greater than the denominator.