dividend
|di-vi-dend|
🇺🇸
/ˈdɪvɪˌdɛnd/
🇬🇧
/ˈdɪvɪd(ə)nd/
share from division
Etymology
'dividend' originates from Latin, specifically the gerundive 'dividendum' of the verb 'dividere', where the root 'divid-' relates to 'divide'.
'dividend' passed into Medieval Latin and Anglo-French/Old French as 'dividendum'/'dividende' and later entered Middle English before becoming the modern English word 'dividend'.
Initially it meant 'that which is to be divided' (something to be distributed). Over time it came to mean specifically a shareholder's share of profits and, in mathematics, the number being divided.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a sum of money paid regularly (often quarterly) by a company to its shareholders from its profits.
The company declared a dividend of $0.50 per share.
Synonyms
Noun 2
in arithmetic, the number that is to be divided by another number (the divisor) in a division operation.
In 20 ÷ 5 = 4, 20 is the dividend.
Last updated: 2025/08/21 06:20