noun
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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…
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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
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Arithmetic
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The Number System
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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
This means that systematic variations of the compound's chemical formula, which can be represented using integer variables, result in systematic changes in its properties.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 17, 2024
In quantum mechanics, the forces or interactions between matter particles are all supposed to be carried by particles of integer spin—0, 1, or 2.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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
These latest projects are primarily driven by a specific continued fraction whose nested integers form the sequence 1, 2, 3,…, Elsner says.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 2, 2023
It is the same with the natural numbers and the integers.
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
She talked about converting this to that and adding this, and integers, but I didn’t hear her.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
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.
