mathematician
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of mathematician
First recorded in 1400–50, mathematician is from the late Middle English word mathematicion. See mathematics, -ian
Explanation
Use the noun mathematician when you talk about someone who is highly educated in — and good at — math. Your math teacher might be a great mathematician who's also gifted at explaining math to students. You can call a person who does math for a living a mathematician, like a math professor or someone who works in statistics or as an actuary. Actually, anyone who has great skill at mathematics is also a mathematician, even if they work as a chef or a taxi driver. The word mathematician is rooted in the Greek mathematikos, which means "relating to mathematics, or scientific," or simply "disposed to learn."
Vocabulary lists containing mathematician
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!
Week 1 Spelling
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!
Katherine Johnson (1918–2020) Tribute List
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.
Mathematician Hannah Fry has done some number crunching and reckons Wales have a 2.2% chance of bagging the four goals needed against England to go through.
From BBC • Nov. 27, 2022
Byrne kept promoting Solomon's work until at least July 2021, when he described him in a blog post as a "Renowned Mathematician."
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2022
Mathematician Luigi Menabrea later transcribed the notes of that lecture to French.
From Scientific American • Mar. 9, 2022
Mathematician Niklas Boers, who contributed to the new paper, compared it to someone leaning back in a chair.
From Washington Post • Mar. 7, 2022
After an audience with the Emperor, he was appointed Imperial Mathematician, granted a good income and offered a choice of three castles in which to set up his observatory.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
