First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
arithmetic
noun arith·me·tic \ə-ˈrith-mə-ˌtik\
: a branch of mathematics that deals with numbers and their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
: the act or process of calculating a number
Full Definition of ARITHMETIC
1
a : a branch of mathematics that deals usually with the nonnegative real numbers including sometimes the transfinite cardinals and with the application of the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to them b : a treatise on arithmetic
2
— ar·ith·met·ic \ˌer-ith-ˈme-tik, ˌa-rith\ or ar·ith·met·i·cal \-ti-kəl\ adjective
— ar·ith·met·i·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
— arith·me·ti·cian \ə-ˌrith-mə-ˈti-shən\ noun
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Origin of ARITHMETIC
Middle English arsmetrik, from Anglo-French arismatike, from Latin arithmetica, from Greek arithmētikē, from feminine of arithmētikos arithmetical, from arithmein to count, from arithmos number; akin to Old English rīm number, and perhaps to Greek arariskein to fit
Related to ARITHMETIC
- Synonyms
- calculation, calculus, ciphering, computation, figures, figuring, math, mathematics, number crunching, numbers, reckoning
Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms
Rhymes with ARITHMETIC
ARITHMETIC Defined for Kids
arithmetic
noun arith·me·tic \ə-ˈrith-mə-ˌtik\
Definition of ARITHMETIC for Kids
1
: a science that deals with the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of numbers
2
: an act or method of adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing
— arith·met·ic \ˌer-ith-ˈme-tik\ or ar·ith·met·i·cal \-ti-kəl\ adjective
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