integer

American  

[in-ti-jer] / ˈɪn tɪ dʒər /

noun

1. Mathematics. one of the positive or negative numbers 1, 2, 3, etc., or zero.

2. a complete entity.

   Synonyms:

   whole, integral

   Antonyms:

   portion, fraction

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integer British  

/ ˈɪntɪdʒə /

noun

1. 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…

2. an individual entity or whole unit

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integer Scientific  

/ ĭn′tĭ-jər /

1. A positive or negative whole number or zero. The numbers 4, −876, and 5,280 are all integers.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noninteger
  noun

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:

• whole number vs. integer

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.

Example Sentences

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

When the researchers first did this experiment, with American college students as the test subjects, they found that people tended to produce time intervals that are related by simple integer ratios.

From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2024

They found that birdsong and global music forms had the same types of timing components, integer ratios, which form the foundation of most melodies.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2023

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

Related Words

• amount
• character
• cost
• number
• price
• rate
• sum
• symbol
• total