boolean
7 synonyms and 0 antonyms for boolean, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adjective — Relating to a system of logic in which every statement is either true or false, with nothing in between, and statements are combined using operations such as and, or and not.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. adjective
Relating to a system of logic in which every statement is either true or false, with nothing in between, and statements are combined using operations such as and, or and not.
“The filter uses boolean logic, so a record has to satisfy both conditions to appear.”
2. noun computing
A value in a program that can only be one of two things, true or false, often used to record whether something is switched on, finished or allowed.
“Store it as a boolean rather than the text yes or no.”
How to Use Boolean
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Standard in mathematics, computing and library search; rare in everyday speech.
Etymology
From the surname of George Boole, the nineteenth-century English mathematician whose work on the algebra of logic the term commemorates, plus the adjectival ending -an.
Full origin of boolean →Frequently Asked Questions
Why is boolean capitalised sometimes?
Because it comes from a person's name, George Boole, it is often written Boolean with a capital B, especially in mathematics and formal writing. In programming, where bool and boolean are keywords, the lower-case form is usual.
What is a boolean in programming?
It is a value that can only be true or false. Programs use it for yes-or-no facts, such as whether a user is logged in, and for deciding which branch of code to run next.
What are the boolean operators?
The three basic ones are and, or and not. And is true only when both sides are true, or is true when at least one side is true, and not reverses a value from true to false or the other way round.