numeral
Americannoun
-
numerals
plural
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.
See Examples For:
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
Expedition 33 is set in Lumiere, a fictional world overshadowed by a huge monolith bearing a glowing numeral on its face.
From BBC ● May 3, 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
A photo of the sticker that oversight officials spotted outside the Lynwood jail, for example, showed the skeletal figure ripping through a logo with the letters CEN and the Roman numeral 21.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2024
It looked just as it had in Anorak's Invitation: a simple antique copper key, its oval-shaped bow embossed with the roman numeral “I.”
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Its chic leather case opened like a compact mirror, revealing a silver face with Roman numerals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
A large digital clock appeared at the start of each episode, with bright numerals showing the current time in 24-hour format, as Bauer raced against the clock to avert disaster.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 16, 2026
Using a special encryption code, the operatives could translate the numerals into a readable message.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026
"You might be feeling a familiar vexation at the sight of these two formerly innocuous numerals," Dictionary.com said, addressing parents as it announced the winner this week.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025
The chords are numbered using Roman numerals from I to vii.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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.
