What is a divisor in math?

In math, the divisor refers to the number used to divide by in a division problem. For example, to divide 20 by five to get four, the divisor is five.

The divisor can also be considered one of the integer factors of the dividend, with the quotient being another factor. Divisors are typically defined as both positive and negative numbers, but some definitions of the divisor limits the term to positive numbers.

The term divisor is one of the specialized words for terms in a division problem. In the previous example, 20 is called the dividend, and the answer to the problem is called the quotient.