mathematics

American  

[math-uh-mat-iks] / ˌmæθ əˈmæt ɪks /

noun

• mathematics
  plural

1. (used with a singular verb) the systematic treatment of magnitude, relationships between figures and forms, and relations between quantities expressed symbolically.

2. (used with a singular or plural verb) mathematical procedures, operations, or properties.

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mathematics British  

/ ˌmæθəˈmætɪks, ˌmæθˈmæt- /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) a group of related sciences, including algebra, geometry, and calculus, concerned with the study of number, quantity, shape, and space and their interrelationships by using a specialized notation

2. (functioning as singular or plural) mathematical operations and processes involved in the solution of a problem or study of some scientific field

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mathematics Scientific  

/ măth′ə-măt′ĭks /

1. The study of the measurement, relationships, and properties of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and calculus are branches of mathematics.

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mathematics Cultural  

1. The study of numbers, equations, functions, and geometric shapes (see geometry) and their relationships. Some branches of mathematics are characterized by use of strict proofs based on axioms. Some of its major subdivisions are arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and calculus.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mathematics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mathematics

1350–1400; Middle English mathematic < Latin mathēmatica ( ars ) < Greek mathēmatikḕ ( téchnē ) scientific (craft), equivalent to mathēmat- (stem of máthēma ) science, knowledge + -ikē, feminine of -ikos -ic; see -ics

Explanation

Mathematics is the long word for "math," or the science of numbers and shapes and what they mean. Most people need mathematics everyday to count and measure. Mathematics is technically a plural noun — mathematics include geometry, algebra, and calculus. But in the U.S., the word is usually treated as a singular concept: That's why someone says that mathematics is their favorite subject, not mathematics are their favorite subjects. The word mathematics comes from the Greek word manthanein, meaning "to learn."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mathematics

“The flickering dream that there’s still a human role in mathematics isn’t completely killed off by this,” Timothy Gowers told me.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

Navier-Stokes is one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems, a list of the hardest open questions in mathematics drawn up by the Clay Mathematics Institute.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

Bleiker now applies the findings to the development of curriculum interventions and early mathematics programs.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

The highest-earning degree is a combination mathematics and computer science program with an average income of nearly $140,000.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

It was the typical way of doing mathematics in antiquity.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• algebra
• calculation
• calculus
• geometry
• math