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
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
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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.
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
They carry integer topological charges and have a fixed chirality of either +1 or -1.
From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2024
If the quotient n ⁄ k is not an integer, the minimum we are looking for corresponds to the rounded-up value because one of the drawers then inevitably contains this number of objects.
From Scientific American • Mar. 20, 2023
We imputed suppressed values by choosing a random integer between one and five, a range chosen in consultation with academic researchers.
From New York Times • Oct. 23, 2022
It is an even number, and it is the integer that precedes one.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
