numeral
Americannoun
adjective
-
of, relating to, or consisting of numbers or numerals.
-
expressing or noting a number or numbers.
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of numeral
1520–30; < Late Latin numerālis of, belonging to number, equivalent to Latin numer ( us ) number + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
A numeral is a symbol that stands for a number. When you set an online password, it's safest to use both numerals and letters. The actual symbol that represents a number is technically called a numeral, although many people use numeral and number interchangeably. You might have a watch with glow-in-the-dark numerals, or use the calculator on your smart phone to add up numerals. You can also use numeral as an adjective: "How many numeral cards are in the deck and how many face cards?" The Latin root is numerus, or "number."
Vocabulary lists containing numeral
The Islamic World and South Asia, Lessons 3–5
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Early Civilizations of India, Lessons 5–7
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Number and Operations in Base Ten
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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.
The Saudi Arabia-backed circuit was launched in 2022 with 54-hole events and even takes its name from the Roman numeral for 54 - LIV.
From BBC • Nov. 4, 2025
The Saudi-backed circuit, whose name is derived from the Roman numeral for '54', had previously touted its three-round tournaments as a core distinction from traditional golf events.
From Barron's • Nov. 4, 2025
Once the state runs out of that license plate sequence, the next sequence will be three numerals, followed by three letters and one numeral.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2025
If the number is less than .5, the image is not assumed to contain a tumor; a numeral greater than .5 warrants a closer look.
From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2024
He also wrote a book about the Hindu numeral system, which allowed the new style of numbers to spread quickly through the Arab world—along with algorithms, the tricks for multiplying and dividing Hindu numerals quickly.
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.
