binary
Americanadjective
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consisting of, indicating, or involving two.
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Mathematics.
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of or relating to a system of numerical notation to the base 2, in which each place of a number, expressed as 0 or 1, corresponds to a power of 2. The decimal number 58 appears as 111010 in binary notation, since 58 = 1 × 2 5 + 1 × 2 4 + 1 × 2 3 + 0 × 2 2 + 1 × 2 1 + 0 × 2 0 .
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of or relating to the digits or numbers used in binary notation.
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of or relating to a binary system.
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(of an operation) assigning a third quantity to two given quantities, as in the addition of two numbers.
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Computers. of, relating to, or written in binary code; programmed or encoded using only the digits 0 and 1.
All executable programs on the computer are stored in binary files.
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Chemistry. noting a compound containing only two elements or groups, as sodium chloride, methyl bromide, or methyl hydroxide.
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Metallurgy. (of an alloy) having two principal constituents.
noun
plural
binaries-
a whole composed of two.
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Mathematics. a system of numerical notation to the base 2, in which each place of a number, expressed as 0 or 1, corresponds to a power of 2.
to convert decimal to binary.
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Also called binary number. Mathematics. a number expressed in the binary system of notation.
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Computers. binary code.
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Computers. an executable file stored in binary format.
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Astronomy. binary star.
adjective
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composed of, relating to, or involving two; dual
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maths computing of, relating to, or expressed in binary notation or binary code
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(of a compound or molecule) containing atoms of two different elements
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metallurgy (of an alloy) consisting of two components or phases
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(of an educational system) consisting of two parallel forms of education such as the grammar school and the secondary modern in Britain
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maths logic (of a relation, expression, or operation) applying to two elements of its domain; having two argument places; dyadic
noun
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something composed of two parts or things
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astronomy See binary star
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short for binary weapon
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Having two parts.
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Mathematics Based on the number 2 or the binary number system.
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Anything composed of two parts. In modern computers, information is stored in banks of components that act like switches. Since switches can be either on or off, they have a binary character, and we say that the computer uses “binary arithmetic” to do its work.
Etymology
Origin of binary
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin bīnārius, equivalent to bīn(ī) ( bin- ) + -ārius -ary
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“He really looked at the world, not through any kind of binary lens, but through a personal lens that was respectful of other people’s perspective.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket sell event contracts, federally-regulated financial instruments tied to binary outcomes like which team will win a sporting event.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
He’s both movie-star hunky and action-star engrossing, flitting between these two deceptively binary ends without breaking a sweat.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
Supporters of the bill argued MSPs were not facing a binary choice between better palliative care and assisted dying, with Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton insisting the legislation would provide a "powerful matrix of safety".
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
Tattered spy novels, texts on information theory and binary multipliers, and an old Polish-English dictionary.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.