1. a mathematical expression used to determine the nature of the roots of a quadratic equation
Usage: mathematics
2. a function or expression that distinguishes between different cases or categories
Usage: mathematics; statistics

1. serving to discriminate or distinguish between different things
Usage: formal

Examples

• The discriminant of the quadratic equation ax² + bx + c = 0 is b² – 4ac.
• If the discriminant is positive, the equation has two real roots.
• When the discriminant equals zero, there is exactly one real root.
• The discriminant function helps classify data points into different groups.
• Statisticians use discriminant analysis to predict group membership.
• The discriminant features of the species made identification easier.