idempotent

Fetched 2026-10-26 (cache).

Synonyms: impotent, deipotent, idempotency, idempotence, idempotents

Antonyms: impotent, deipotent, idempotency, idempotence, idempotents

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Adjective

1. {{lb|en|mathematics|computing}} {{q|said of a function}} Such that, when performed multiple times on the same subject, it has no further effect on its subject after the first time it is performed.
2. {{lb|en|mathematics}} {{q|said of an element of an [[algebraic structure]] with a [[binary operation]], such as a [[group]] or [[semigroup]]}} Such that, when it operates on itself, the result is equal to itself.<!-- result = "return value", i.e., it "returns" itself -->
3. {{lb|en|mathematics}} {{q|said of a [[binary operation]]}} Such that all of the distinct elements it can operate on are idempotent {{q|in the sense given just above}}.
4. {{lb|en|mathematics}} {{q|said of an algebraic structure}} Having an idempotent operation {{q|in the sense given above}}.

Noun

1. {{lb|en|mathematics}} An idempotent element.
2. {{lb|en|mathematics}} An idempotent structure.

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wiktionary dump) · cached copy, not a rewrite.