numeral

Etymology

As an adjective, from Middle English numeral, numerall, from Latin numerālis (“pertaining to a number”),^[1][2] from numerus (“a number”).

As a noun, via Middle French numeral.^[3]

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: nyo͞oʹm(ə)rəl, IPA^(key): /ˈnjuːməɹəl/, /ˈnjuːmɹəl/
• (General American) enPR: no͞oʹm(ə)rəl, IPA^(key): /ˈnuməɹəl/, /ˈnumɹəl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: nu‧mer‧al, num‧eral

Noun

numeral (plural numerals)

1. A symbol that is not a word and represents a number, such as the Arabic numerals 1, 2, 3 or the Roman numerals I, V, X, L.
2. A representation of a number composed of such symbols.
   • 1966, Robert Lee Morton, Modern Mathematics Through Discovery, page 97:

     Compare the numeral for the product with the original decimal numeral.

4. (linguistics) A number word, a simple or compound word for a number often having particular grammatical attributes depending on the language.

   Hyponyms: cardinal numeral, ordinal numeral, distributive numeral, multiplicative numeral, multiplier, collective numeral

   • 2002, Laurie Bauer, Rodney Huddleston, “Lexical word-formation”, in The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, page 1715:

     We use the term numeral for linguistic expressions and number for meanings. For example, five is a numeral expressing the number "5" - and fifteen hundred and one thousand five hundred are different numerals expressing the same number, "1,500".

5. (card games) A card whose rank is a number (usually including the ace as 1).

   Jacks, queens, and kings are not numerals.

Adjective

numeral (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to numbers; numerical.
   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:

     A long train of numeral progressions.

References

Further reading

• “numeral”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “numeral”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “numeral”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /numeˈɾal/ [nũ.meˈɾɑɫ]
• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: nu‧me‧ral

Noun

numeral m (plural numerais)

1. (grammar) numeral (word representing a number)

Further reading

• “numeral”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /numeˈral/

Adjective

numeral

1. numeral

Noun

numeral

1. numeral

Adjective

numeral m (feminine singular numerale, masculine plural numeraux, feminine plural numerales)

1. numeral; numerical
   • 1474, author unknown, Mystere de l'Incarnation:

     Numerales proporcions

     Numerical proportions

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (numeral, supplement)

Noun

numeral n (definite singular numeralet, indefinite plural numeral or numeraler, definite plural numerala or numeralene)

1. numeral

   Synonym: tallord

Noun

numeral n (definite singular numeralet, indefinite plural numeral, definite plural numerala)

1. numeral

   Synonym: talord

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nymeˈral/
• Rhymes: -al

Adjective

numeral

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin numerālis.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: nu‧me‧ral

Adjective

numeral m or f (plural numerais, not comparable)

1. numeral, numeric

Noun

numeral m (plural numerais)

1. (linguistics) numeral

Etymology

Borrowed from French numeral, from Latin numeralis. By surface analysis, număr +‎ -al.

Adjective

numeral m or n (feminine singular numerală, masculine plural numerali, feminine and neuter plural numerale)

1. numeral

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /numeˈɾal/ [nu.meˈɾal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: nu‧me‧ral

Noun

numeral m (plural numerales)

1. (linguistics) numeral

Further reading

• “numeral”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10