two's complement

noun

: the negative of a binary number represented by switching all ones to zeros and all zeros to ones and then adding one to the result

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of two's complement was in 1958

Dictionary Entries Near two's complement

Cite this Entry

“Two's complement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/two%27s%20complement. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!