noun
-
any rational number that can be expressed as the sum or difference of a finite number of units, being a member of the set …–3, –2, –1, 0, 1, 2, 3…
-
an individual entity or whole unit
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of integer
First recorded in 1500–10; from Latin: “untouched, undivided, whole, fresh,” equivalent to in- negative prefix + -teg- (combining form of tag-, root of tangere “to touch”) + -er adjective suffix; see in- 3
Compare meaning
How does integer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Integer is a math term for a number that is a whole number. In the equation 2 + 1/2, the number 2 is the integer and 1/2 is the fraction. Integer comes from a 16th century Latin word meaning "whole" or "intact." For a number to be considered an integer, it must be whole — no fractions or decimals here. An integer can be positive or negative. The numbers 0, 1, 2, -1, and -2 are all examples of integers.
Vocabulary lists containing integer
Pi Day Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Arithmetic
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Number System
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
What mattered was mostly the initial integer, or what was “to the left of the decimal point,” rather than anything more exact.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
Quantum systems’ disruptive potential lies in their ability to execute Shor’s algorithm, or find the prime factors of an integer in polynomial time.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
Accordingly, in the White House video, a +100 integer flashes on-screen when a mortar shell connects with its target, as if the president himself were landing trick shots on his Twitch stream.
From Slate ● Mar. 6, 2026
When the researchers first did this experiment, with American college students as the test subjects, they found that people tended to produce time intervals that are related by simple integer ratios.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 4, 2024
Saying that the integer 4 is not odd is logically the same as saying that it is even.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Quantum computers can be used to solve problems that even supercomputers can only solve after a very long time or not at all, such as breaking down large integers into prime factors.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 27, 2024
And the box “What Are Imaginary Numbers?” should have said that rational numbers include the integers, not that “rational numbers are the integers.”
From Scientific American ● May 28, 2023
All real numbers that cannot be represented by a fraction of two integers are irrational.
From Scientific American ● May 23, 2023
“I’m so used to this kudzu sprawl of figurative language,” she said, “and simple can feel like ‘see spot run,’ but there are simple words like prime integers that carry so much meaning when sung.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 3, 2023
While Mr. Simmons goes on and on about integers, I work on a poem in my journal.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
