monic
|mon-ic|
🇺🇸
/ˈmɑnɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˈmɒnɪk/
single / one
Etymology
'monic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'monos', where 'mono-' meant 'single'.
'monic' was formed in Modern English mathematical usage by attaching the adjective-forming suffix '-ic' to the combining form 'mono-' (from Greek 'monos').
Initially, it meant 'single', but over time it evolved into its current technical meanings of 'having leading coefficient 1' (for polynomials) and 'being a monomorphism' (in category theory).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
of a polynomial: having leading coefficient equal to 1.
x^3 + 2x - 5 is a monic polynomial.
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Adjective 2
describing a morphism that is a monomorphism (often meaning left-cancellative; in many concrete categories this corresponds to being injective).
In category theory, a monic arrow is left-cancellative.
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Last updated: 2026/01/14 12:45