First Known Use: 1551
Dictionary
algebra
noun al·ge·bra \ˈal-jə-brə\
: a branch of mathematics that uses numbers and letters that represent numbers
Full Definition of ALGEBRA
1
: a generalization of arithmetic in which letters representing numbers are combined according to the rules of arithmetic
2
: any of various systems or branches of mathematics or logic concerned with the properties and relationships of abstract entities (as complex numbers, matrices, sets, vectors, groups, rings, or fields) manipulated in symbolic form under operations often analogous to those of arithmetic — compare boolean algebra
— al·ge·bra·ist \-ˌbrā-ist\ noun
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Origin of ALGEBRA
Medieval Latin, from Arabic al-jabr, literally, the reduction
Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms
ALGEBRAIST Defined for Kids
algebra
noun al·ge·bra \ˈal-jə-brə\
Definition of ALGEBRA for Kids
: a branch of mathematics in which symbols (as letters and numbers) are combined according to the rules of arithmetic
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