innumerate

[ ih-noo-mer-it, ih-nyoo- ]

/ ɪˈnu mər ɪt, ɪˈnyu- /

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adjective

unfamiliar with mathematical concepts and methods; unable to use mathematics; not numerate.

noun

an innumerate person.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of innumerate

First recorded in 1959; in-³ + numerate

OTHER WORDS FROM innumerate

in·nu·mer·a·cy, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH innumerate

1. illiterate, innumerate 2. innumerable, innumerate

Words nearby innumerate

Inns of Court, Innu, innuendo, Innuit, innumerable, innumerate, innutrition, Ino, inobservance, inobtrusive, inoculable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use innumerate in a sentence

Occasionally it crosses the line of self-satisfaction, as if to lament that the world is full of innumerate mouth-breathers.
Nate Silver is a Nerd - And He Does Math!|Justin Green|October 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Being innumerate, I need equivalencies to help my poor mind wrap around Grendel-size mathematical concepts.
The Wall Street Journal's Trillion-Dollar Error|Christopher Buckley|January 14, 2009|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for innumerate

innumerate

/ (ɪˈnjuːmərɪt) /

adjective

having neither knowledge nor understanding of mathematics or science

noun

an innumerate person

Derived forms of innumerate

innumeracy, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012