mathematics

American  

[math-uh-mat-iks] / ˌmæθ əˈmæt ɪks /

noun

1. (used with a singular verb) the systematic treatment of magnitude, relationships between figures and forms, and relations between quantities expressed symbolically.

2. (used with a singular or plural verb) mathematical procedures, operations, or properties.

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mathematics British  

/ ˌmæθəˈmætɪks, ˌmæθˈmæt- /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) a group of related sciences, including algebra, geometry, and calculus, concerned with the study of number, quantity, shape, and space and their interrelationships by using a specialized notation

2. (functioning as singular or plural) mathematical operations and processes involved in the solution of a problem or study of some scientific field

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mathematics Scientific  

/ măth′ə-măt′ĭks /

1. The study of the measurement, relationships, and properties of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and calculus are branches of mathematics.

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mathematics Cultural  

1. The study of numbers, equations, functions, and geometric shapes (see geometry) and their relationships. Some branches of mathematics are characterized by use of strict proofs based on axioms. Some of its major subdivisions are arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and calculus.

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Etymology

Origin of mathematics

1350–1400; Middle English mathematic < Latin mathēmatica ( ars ) < Greek mathēmatikḕ ( téchnē ) scientific (craft), equivalent to mathēmat- (stem of máthēma ) science, knowledge + -ikē, feminine of -ikos -ic; see -ics

Explanation

Mathematics is the long word for "math," or the science of numbers and shapes and what they mean. Most people need mathematics everyday to count and measure. Mathematics is technically a plural noun — mathematics include geometry, algebra, and calculus. But in the U.S., the word is usually treated as a singular concept: That's why someone says that mathematics is their favorite subject, not mathematics are their favorite subjects. The word mathematics comes from the Greek word manthanein, meaning "to learn."

Example Sentences

Looking for more math resources, Havens wrote to the journal Annals of Mathematics.

From Slate • May 2, 2026

"We've all got many different types of blood cells that have different properties and different roles within our body," said Simon Deltadahl from Cambridge's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, the study's first author.

From Science Daily • Jan. 13, 2026

To attend the University of California, all students must take four years of mathematics: the full sequence of high-school courses through Algebra II or Integrated Mathematics III, generally followed by Calculus or Statistics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 1, 2025

But Tao said that he was more distressed by the freezing of a $25-million grant for UCLA’s Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

Mathematics can help determine the consequences of our assumptions and values, but we, not some mathematical divinity, are the origin of these assumptions and values.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Related Words

• algebra
• calculation
• calculus
• geometry
• math