Definition
Constant term
The fixed-number piece of an expression: the term with no variable.
What it means
Terms are the pieces joined by addition or subtraction. In 4x − 7, the part 4x changes when x changes, but −7 does not. That makes −7 the constant term.
Remember it
Find the no-letter piece, and keep its sign with it.
Example
In 2a + 3b − 9, the terms are 2a, 3b, and −9. The only term without a variable is −9, so −9 is the constant term.
Watch for
In x + 5 = 12, 5 is the constant term of the left-hand expression; 12 is on the other side of the equation.
Common mix-up
Keep the minus sign: the no-variable piece of 6x − 4 is −4.
Exact meaning
A constant term is a term in an expression that contains no variable. Its value stays fixed when the expression's variables change, and its plus or minus sign belongs to the term.