Exponent

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɛkˈspəʊnənt/

Definitions

1. A number or symbol indicating how many times a base is multiplied by itself ; a person who actively supports or advocates an idea, cause, or theory
2. A digit or figure that shows the power to which a base is raised in mathematics ; an individual who champions or explains a particular belief or practice
3. A character representing the repeated multiplication of a base number ; someone who serves as a representative or proponent of a particular viewpoint or movement

Etymology: The mathematical sense came first in a different register. Latin "exponens" meant "one who sets forth" or "explainer," the present participle of "exponere," built from "ex-" (out) and "ponere" (to put, place). The verb carried the sense of setting something out for display or laying out an explanation, so a thing that "sets out" a quantity became the figure that shows how many times a base is multiplied. Both senses trace back to the same Latin image of putting something outward where others can see it. A person who "exponents" a viewpoint is one who sets that viewpoint out in public, which is why the word later came to mean a representative or advocate of a doctrine or movement. The two English meanings therefore share a single root: one puts a number forward to show its power, the other puts a belief forward to show its case.

Synonyms: representative, advocate, proponent, champion, supporter

Antonyms: opponent, critic