numerology

American  

[noo-muh-rol-uh-jee, nyoo-] / ˌnu məˈrɒl ə dʒi, ˌnju- /

noun

1. the study of numbers, as the figures designating the year of one's birth, to determine their supposed influence on one's life, future, etc.

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numerology British  

/ ˌnjuːməˈrɒlədʒɪ, ˌnjuːmərəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

noun

1. the study of numbers, such as the figures in a birth date, and of their supposed influence on human affairs

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Other Word Forms

• numerologist
  noun
• numerological
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of numerology

1910–15; < Latin numer ( us ) number + -o- + -logy

Example Sentences

Numerology can be fun to think about, the idea that there’s something mystical at work in Swift’s oeuvre, but a sloppy reference like this undermines the whole enterprise.

From Slate • Dec. 11, 2020

Numerology features regularly in hip-hop too, but few acts are quite as nuts about numbers as the Wu.

From The Guardian • Oct. 14, 2016

MacKinnon, of Calgary, Alberta, author of “Please Take a Number: Numerology for Real Life and Everyday Success,” said Tuesday that those kinds of energy are good news for couples planning to marry on 12-12-12.

From Salon • Dec. 11, 2012

Numerology, especially in its soothsaying and divinatory aspects, is in many ways a typical pseudoscience.

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

Numerology Less worrisome than inaccurate tests is numerology, the last pseudoscience I want to discuss, and my favorite.

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