fractal

UK/ˈfɹæk.təl/

fractal noun: a mathematical set that has a non-integer and constant Hausdorff dimension, corresponding to a geometric figure or object that is self-similar at arbitrarily small scales and thus has infinite complexity.

$fractal: a mathematical set that has a non-integer and constant Hausdorff dimension, corresponding to a...$

Image: Solkoll, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

fractal (plural fractals)

A mathematical set that has a non-integer and constant Hausdorff dimension, corresponding to a geometric figure or object that is self-similar at arbitrarily small scales and thus has infinite complexity.
(broadly) An object, system, or idea that exhibits a fractal-like property, such as the property of self-similarity at numerous but not infinitely many scales.
- In essence, you are assuming that each segment of a company is a fractal of the whole[…]1999, John J. McGonagle, Carolyn M. Vella, The Internet Age of Competitive Intelligence, →ISBN

Adjective

fractal (not comparable)

Having the form of a fractal; having to do with fractals.
- Romanesco was my gateway cauli and I've never stopped growing it. Not a variety as much as its own thing, Romanesco is a cauliflower to the French, a calabrese to the Italians. […] Visually, it may be the most remarkable thing you can grow: it is made up of lime-green mini-spirals that coil around...2015 January 26, Mark Diacono, “How to grow and cook cauliflower, 2015's trendiest veg: Tricky to grow, boring to boil ... so why is the outmoded cauliflower back at the culinary cutting edge? [print...
(broadly, figuratively, sometimes) Exhibiting a fractal-like property.
- A fractal situation emerges in this way then: the consequences of Ulysses' decision to abandon Calypso are not entirely predictable.2007, Vincent Spina, “Three Central American writers: alone between two cultures”, in Carlota Caulfield, Darién J. Davis, editors, Companion to United States Latino Literatures, →ISBN

fractal meaning in Persian

fractal in Persian

mathematical figure that is self-similar at all scales: برخال barxâl

Examples of fractal in a sentence

These asperities are distributed in a fractal manner and each fault contains small and large asperities.
The location of ambulances is based on the concept of fractal, rather than average response times.
Measuring the response time of all sectors of the city derives the fractal response time.

All 16 example sentences with fractal

Forms of fractal

plural	fractals

Plural of fractal: fractals

Origin of fractal

From French fractal, from Latin fractus (“broken”), perfect passive participle of frangō (“break, fragment”).

Words formed from fractal

Phrases with fractal

Words that rhyme with fractal

tactile

Questions about fractal

What does fractal mean?: Fractal means a mathematical set that has a non-integer and constant Hausdorff dimension, corresponding to a geometric figure or object that is self-similar at arbitrarily small scales and thus has infinite complexity.
What is fractal in Persian?: Fractal in Persian is برخال (barxâl). See Fractal meaning in Persian.
What part of speech is fractal?: Fractal can be a noun or an adjective.
How do you pronounce fractal?: Fractal is pronounced /ˈfɹæk.təl/ (UK).
What is the plural of fractal?: The plural of fractal is fractals.

Words near fractal in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: fractal (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-fractal.ogg, en-au-fractal.ogg.

Cite this entry: “fractal.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/fractal. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.