mathematical
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or of the nature of mathematics.
mathematical truth.
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employed in the operations of mathematics.
mathematical instruments.
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having the exactness, precision, or certainty of mathematics.
- Synonyms:
- rigorous, meticulous, precise, exact
adjective
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of, used in, or relating to mathematics
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characterized by or using the precision of mathematics; exact
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using, determined by, or in accordance with the principles of mathematics
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mathematical
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin mathēmatic ( us ) pertaining to mathematics + -al 1
Explanation
Anything mathematical has to do with the science of numbers and shapes, or is as precise and exact as a mathematical calculation. If you weigh your new puppy's food on a digital scale each morning, you can say you're feeding her with mathematical precision. And when you work on problems in algebra class, you're most likely using mathematical formulas to solve them. Mathematical is derived from the Greek mathēmatike tekhnē, "mathematical science," and its root, which means "to learn."
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.
The Marcus Theory, as it came to be known, provides a mathematical way to determine how fast or slow, or in what direction, electrons jump between molecules without breaking chemical bonds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
"Generations of animals have grown up finding food of high nutritional value more easily near residential areas. We are heading, with mathematical certainty, towards more unpleasant situations," Karamanlidis said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
Strategy is caught in a mathematical trap of its own making.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
They developed two different mathematical approaches, wave mechanics and matrix mechanics, to describe quantum systems.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
It is at the zero hour of the big bang and the ground zero of the black hole that the mathematical equations that describe our world stop making sense.
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.
