Integer vs. Double — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 21, 2023
An Integer is a whole number, lacking decimal points, while a Double is a floating-point number that can represent large decimal values with double precision. Both are numerical data types.
Difference Between Integer and Double
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Integer and Double are fundamental data types found in computer programming and mathematics. An Integer, as the name suggests, pertains to integral numbers which means it encompasses both positive and negative whole numbers, excluding fractional or decimal parts. For instance, -3, 0, and 45 are all examples of integers. They're commonly used in scenarios where whole, exact values are required, such as counting items or iterations in loops.
On the contrary, a Double is a type of floating-point number. Unlike Integers, Doubles can represent real numbers with decimal points, and they are especially known for their double-precision format in computing. This means that a Double can accurately represent much larger or smaller decimal values compared to other floating-point types. For instance, 3.14, -0.001, and 150.756 are examples of values that can be stored as Doubles.
It's noteworthy that the choice between Integer and Double depends largely on the application and the nature of calculations required. If you're dealing with monetary values, for example, Double might be more suitable due to its ability to handle decimals. But if you're counting the number of times a loop should run, an Integer is apt.
Lastly, in terms of memory and computational efficiency, Integers generally require less space and are faster in operations than Doubles. However, the specific memory size allocated for both Integer and Double can vary based on the programming language or the system's architecture.
Comparison Chart
Nature of Value
Whole numbers
Decimal numbers
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Examples
-5, 0, 100
3.14, -0.001, 150.756
Precision
Fixed precision
Double-precision floating-point
Memory Consumption
Typically less than Double
Typically more due to double-precision
Use Cases
Counting, loop iterations
Monetary calculations, scientific measurements
Compare with Definitions
Integer
A whole number, neither fractional nor decimal.
The number 7 is an Integer.
Double
Holds decimal numbers with a higher precision than other floating-point types.
For precise financial calculations, use a Double.
Integer
Used for exact numerical operations.
For loop iterations, an Integer counter is ideal.
Double
Consisting of two equal, identical, or similar parts or things
Double doors
Integer
A number that can be written without a remainder or decimal component.
The number of books in a shelf should be an Integer.
Double
Lower in pitch by an octave.
Integer
A data type in programming representing integral values.
The variable count was declared as an Integer.
Double
At or to twice the amount or extent
You have to be careful, and this counts double for older people
Integer
An integer (from the Latin integer meaning "whole") is colloquially defined as a number that can be written without a fractional component. For example, 21, 4, 0, and −2048 are integers, while 9.75, 5+1/2, and √2 are not.
Double
A thing which is twice as large as usual or is made up of two standard units or things
Join the two sleeping bags together to make a double
Integer
A number which is not a fraction; a whole number
Integer values
Double
A person who looks exactly like another
You could pass yourself off as his double
Integer
A thing complete in itself.
Double
(especially in tennis and badminton) a game or competition involving sides made up of two players
The semi-finals of the doubles
Integer
A member of the set of positive whole numbers {1, 2, 3, ... }, negative whole numbers {-1, -2, -3, ... }, and zero {0}.
Double
A system of change-ringing using five bells, with two pairs changing places each time.
Integer
A complete unit or entity.
Double
A pair of victories in the same sport in two different competitions
Manchester United won the double twice
Integer
(arithmetic) A number that is not a fraction; an element of the infinite and numerable set {..., -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...}.
Double
A number or amount which is twice as large as a contrasting or usual number or amount
He paid double and had a room all to himself
Integer
A complete entity; a whole number, in contradistinction to a fraction or a mixed number.
Double
Become twice as much or as many
Profits doubled in one year
Integer
Any of the natural numbers (positive or negative) or zero
Double
Fold or bend (paper, cloth, or other material) over on itself
The muslin is doubled and then laid in a sieve over the bowl
Integer
Numbers that include both positive and negative values but no decimals.
-3, 0, and 4 are all Integer values.
Double
Be used in or play another, different role
A laser printer doubles as a photocopier
Double
Twice as much in size, strength, number, or amount
A double dose.
Double
Composed of two like parts
Double doors.
Double
Composed of two unlike parts; dual
A double meaning.
A double role for an actor.
Double
Accommodating or designed for two
A double bed.
A double room.
Double
Characterized by duplicity; deceitful
Speak with a double tongue.
Double
(Botany) Having many more than the usual number of petals, usually in a crowded or an overlapping arrangement
A double chrysanthemum.
Double
Something increased twofold.
Double
One that closely resembles another; a duplicate.
Double
Something having two identifiable or prominent parts or members.
Double
Something capable of carrying, moving, or holding two people or things, as a mattress.
Double
An actor's understudy.
Double
An actor who takes the place of another actor in scenes requiring special skills or preparations
A stunt double.
A body double.
Double
An apparition; a wraith.
Double
A sharp turn in a direction of movement; a reversal.
Double
A sharp, often devious change in position or argument; a shift.
Double
Doubles(Sports) A form of a game, such as tennis or handball, having two players on each side.
Double
(Baseball) A hit enabling the batter to reach second base. Also called two-bagger, two-base hit.
Double
A bid in bridge indicating strength to one's partner; a request for a bid.
Double
A bid doubling one's opponent's bid in bridge, thus increasing the penalty for failure to fulfill the contract.
Double
A hand justifying such a bid.
Double
To make twice as great.
Double
To be twice as much as
Doubled the score of his opponent.
Double
To fold in two.
Double
To clench (one's fist).
Double
To duplicate; repeat.
Double
To turn (an enemy spy) into a double agent.
Double
To cause the scoring of (a run) by hitting a double.
Double
To advance or score (a runner) by hitting a double.
Double
To put out (a runner) as the second part of a double play.
Double
(Games) To challenge (an opponent's bid) with a double in bridge.
Double
(Music) To duplicate (another part or voice) an octave higher or lower or in unison.
Double
(Nautical) To sail around
Double a cape.
Double
To be increased twofold
The debt soon doubled.
Double
To turn sharply or all the way around; reverse one's course
Had to double back to touch the missed base.
Double
To serve in an additional capacity
A frying pan that doubles as a pie tin.
A conductor who doubles as a pianist.
Double
To replace an actor in the actor's absence or in a certain scene.
Double
(Baseball) To hit a double.
Double
(Games) To announce a double in bridge.
Double
To twice the amount or extent; doubly
Paid double for the customized car.
Double
Two together; in pairs
Sleeping double.
Double
In two
Bent double.
Double
Made up of two matching or complementary elements.
The closet has double doors.
Double
Of twice the quantity.
Give me a double serving of mashed potatoes.
Double
Of a family relationship, related on both the maternal and paternal sides of a family.
He's my double cousin as my mother's sister married my father's brother.
Double
Designed for two users.
A double room
Double
Folded in two; composed of two layers.
Double
Stooping; bent over.
Double
Having two aspects; ambiguous.
A double meaning
Double
False, deceitful, or hypocritical.
A double life
Double
Of flowers, having more than the normal number of petals.
Double
(music) Of an instrument, sounding an octave lower.
A double bass
Double
(music) Of time, twice as fast.
Double
Twice over; twofold; doubly.
Double
Two together; two at a time. (especially in see double)
There are only a few beds, so some of the children will have to sleep double for the night.
Double
Twice the number, amount, size, etc.
Double
A person who resembles and stands in for another person, often for safety purposes
Saddam Hussein was rumored to have many doubles.
Double
A drink with two portions of alcohol.
On second thought, make that a double.
Double
A ghostly apparition of a living person; a doppelgänger.
Double
A sharp turn, especially a return on one's own tracks.
Double
A redundant item for which an identical item already exists.
I have more than 200 stamps in my collection but they're not all unique: some are doubles.
Before printing the photos, Liam deleted the doubles.
Double
(baseball) A two-base hit.
The catcher hit a double to lead off the ninth.
Double
(bridge) A call that increases certain scoring points if the last preceding bid becomes the contract.
Double
(billiards) A strike in which the object ball is struck so as to make it rebound against the cushion to an opposite pocket.
Double
A bet on two horses in different races in which any winnings from the first race are placed on the horse in the later race.
Double
(darts) The narrow outermost ring on a dartboard.
Double
(darts) A hit on this ring.
Double
(dominoes) A tile that has the same value (i.e., the same number of pips) on both sides.
Double
A double-precision floating-point number.
The sine function returns a double.
Double
(soccer) Two competitions, usually one league and one cup, won by the same team in a single season.
Double
(rowing) A boat for two scullers.
Double
(sports) The feat of scoring twice in one game.
Double
The feat of winning two events in a single meet or competition.
In 1996, Michael Johnson achieved a double by winning both the 200 and 400 meter dashes.
Double
(historical) A former French coin worth one-sixth of a sou.
Double
A copper coin worth one-eighth of a penny.
Double
(music) Playing the same part on two instruments, alternately.
Double
(Christianity) A double feast.
Double
Synonym of double-quick
Double
(transitive) To multiply by two.
The company doubled their earnings per share over last quarter.
Double
(intransitive) To increase by 100%, to become twice as large in size.
Our earnings have doubled in the last year.
Double
To be the double of; to exceed by twofold; to contain or be worth twice as much as.
Double
(transitive) To fold over so as to make two folds.
To make a pleat, double the material at the waist.
Double
(transitive) (sometimes followed by up) To clench (a fist).
Double
(baseball) To get a two-base hit.
The batter doubled into the corner.
Double
(transitive) (often followed by together or up) To join or couple.
Double
(transitive) To repeat exactly; copy.
Double
To serve a second role or have a second purpose.
A spork is a kind of fork that doubles as a spoon.
Double
To act as substitute for (another theatrical performer in a certain role, etc).
Double
(theatre) To play (both one part and another, in the same play, etc).
Double
(intransitive) To turn sharply, following a winding course.
Double
(nautical) To sail around (a headland or other point).
Double
(music) To duplicate (a part) either in unison or at the octave above or below it.
Double
To be capable of performing (upon an additional instrument).
Double
(bridge) To make a call that will double certain scoring points if the preceding bid becomes the contract.
Double
To double down.
Double
To cause (a ball) to rebound from a cushion before entering the pocket.
Double
(intransitive) To go or march at twice the normal speed.
Double
(transitive) To multiply the strength or effect of by two.
Sorry, this store does not double coupons.
Double
(military) To unite, as ranks or files, so as to form one from each two.
Double
To transmit simultaneously on the same channel as another station, either unintentionally or deliberately, causing interference.
Could you please repeat your last transmission? Another station was doubling with you.
Double
To operate as a double agent.
Double
Twofold; multiplied by two; increased by its equivalent; made twice as large or as much, etc.
Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
Darkness and tempest make a double night.
Double
Being in pairs; presenting two of a kind, or two in a set together; coupled.
[Let] The swan, on still St. Mary's lake,Float double, swan and shadow.
Double
Divided into two; acting two parts, one openly and the other secretly; equivocal; deceitful; insincere.
With a double heart do they speak.
Double
Having the petals in a flower considerably increased beyond the natural number, usually as the result of cultivation and the expense of the stamens, or stamens and pistils. The white water lily and some other plants have their blossoms naturally double.
Double
Twice; doubly.
I was double their age.
Double
To increase by adding an equal number, quantity, length, value, or the like; multiply by two; as, to double a sum of money; to double a number, or length.
Double six thousand, and then treble that.
Double
To make of two thicknesses or folds by turning or bending together in the middle; to fold one part upon another part of; as, to double the leaf of a book, and the like; to clinch, as the fist; - often followed by up; as, to double up a sheet of paper or cloth.
Then the old manWas wroth, and doubled up his hands.
Double
To be the double of; to exceed by twofold; to contain or be worth twice as much as.
Thus reënforced, against the adverse fleet,Still doubling ours, brave Rupert leads the way.
Double
To pass around or by; to march or sail round, so as to reverse the direction of motion.
Sailing along the coast, the doubled the promontory of Carthage.
Double
To unite, as ranks or files, so as to form one from each two.
Double
To be increased to twice the sum, number, quantity, length, or value; to increase or grow to twice as much.
'T is observed in particular nations, that within the space of three hundred years, notwithstanding all casualties, the number of men doubles.
Double
To return upon one's track; to turn and go back over the same ground, or in an opposite direction.
Doubling and turning like a hunted hare.
Doubling and doubling with laborious walk.
Double
To play tricks; to use sleights; to play false.
What penalty and danger you accrue,If you be found to double.
Double
To set up a word or words a second time by mistake; to make a doublet.
Double
Twice as much; twice the number, sum, quantity, length, value, and the like.
If the thief be found, let him pay double.
Double
Among compositors, a doublet (see Doublet, 2.); among pressmen, a sheet that is twice pulled, and blurred.
Double
That which is doubled over or together; a doubling; a plait; a fold.
Rolled up in sevenfold doubleOf plagues.
Double
A turn or circuit in running to escape pursues; hence, a trick; a shift; an artifice.
These men are too well acquainted with the chase to be flung off by any false steps or doubles.
Double
A person or thing that is the counterpart of another; a duplicate; copy; (Obs.) transcript; - now chiefly used of persons. Hence, a wraith.
My charming friend . . . has, I am almost sure, a double, who preaches his afternoon sermons for him.
Double
A player or singer who prepares to take the part of another player in his absence; a substitute; - used especially of a person who resembles an actor and takes the actor's place in scenes requiring special skills; as, a stunt double.
Double
Double beer; strong beer.
Double
A feast in which the antiphon is doubled, hat is, said twice, before and after the Psalms, instead of only half being said, as in simple feasts.
Double
A game between two pairs of players; as, a first prize for doubles.
Double
An old term for a variation, as in Bach's Suites.
Double
A base hit on which the batter stops safely at second base;
He hit a double to deep centerfield
Double
A stand-in for movie stars to perform dangerous stunts;
His first job in Hollywood was as a double for Clark Gable
Double
Someone who closely resembles a famous person (especially an actor);
He could be Gingrich's double
She's the very image of her mother
Double
A quantity that is twice as great as another;
36 is the double of 18
Double
Raising the stakes in a card game by a factor of 2;
I decided his double was a bluff
Double
Increase twofold;
The population doubled within 50 years
Double
Hit a two-base hit
Double
Bend over or curl up, usually with laughter or pain;
He doubled and vomited violently
Double
Do double duty; serve two purposes or have two functions;
She doubles as his wife and secretary
Double
Bridge: make a demand for (a card or suit)
Double
Make or do or perform again;
He could never replicate his brilliant performance of the magic trick
Double
Having more than one decidedly dissimilar aspects or qualities;
A double (or dual) role for an actor
The office of a clergyman is twofold; public preaching and private influence
Every episode has its double and treble meaning
Double
Consisting of or involving two parts or components usually in pairs;
An egg with a double yolk
A double (binary) star
Double doors
Dual controls for pilot and copilot
Duple (or double) time consists of two (or a multiple of two) beats to a measure
Double
Twice as great or many;
Ate a double portion
The dose is doubled
A twofold increase
Double
Used of flowers having more than the usual number of petals in crowded or overlapping arrangements;
Double chrysanthemums have many rows of petals and are usually spherical or hemispherical
Double
Used of homologous chromosomes associated in pairs in synapsis
Double
Large enough for two;
A double bed
A double room
Double
Having two meanings with intent to deceive;
A sly double meaning
Spoke with forked tongue
Double
Downward and forward;
He was bent double with pain
Double
Two together;
Some people sleep better double
Double
To double the degree;
She was doubly rewarded
His eyes were double bright
Double
A floating-point number with double precision.
The number 3.14592 can be stored as a Double.
Double
A data type in programming used for storing large decimal values.
The variable area was declared as a Double.
Double
Capable of representing both whole numbers and real numbers.
5 and 5.01 can be values for a Double.
Double
Commonly used for scientific calculations requiring precision.
In physics experiments, measurements are often stored as Doubles.
Common Curiosities
Is Double the only floating-point data type in programming?
No, there are others like Float, but Double offers more precision.
Is it possible to convert a Double to an Integer in programming?
Yes, but it may involve rounding or truncating the decimal part.
Does a Double always consume more memory than an Integer?
Typically yes, due to its double-precision, but specifics depend on the programming language and system.
What's the primary distinction between Integer and Double?
Integer represents whole numbers, while Double represents decimal numbers with double precision.
Can an Integer hold a decimal value?
No, Integers only store whole numbers without decimals.
Why is it called a "Double"?
It's named for its double precision, meaning it uses twice the number of bits as a regular floating-point number.
Why might one use an Integer instead of a Double?
Integers are faster for computations and are apt for scenarios requiring whole numbers.
Are the operations on Doubles always exact?
No, due to the nature of floating-point arithmetic, some operations can have rounding errors.
When might it be essential to use a Double over an Integer?
In tasks needing decimal precision, like financial or scientific calculations.
Can Double represent very large and very small numbers?
Yes, Double has a wide range due to its double-precision format.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
