numerical

American  

[noo-mer-i-kuhl, nyoo-] / nuˈmɛr ɪ kəl, nju- /

Also numeric

adjective

1. of or relating to numbers; of the nature of a number.

2. indicating a number.

   numerical symbols.

3. bearing or designated by a number.

4. expressed by numbers instead of letters.

   numerical cryptography; numerical equations.

5. of or relating to one's skill at working with numbers, solving mathematical problems, etc..

   tests for rating numerical aptitude.

6. Mathematics. absolute.

---

numerical British  

/ njuːˈmɛrɪkəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or denoting a number or numbers

2. measured or expressed in numbers

   numerical value

3. maths

   1. containing or using constants, coefficients, terms, or elements represented by numbers Compare literal

      3x² + 4y = 2 is a numerical equation

   2. another word for absolute

---

Other Word Forms

• numericalness
  noun
• unnumerical
  adjective
• numerically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of numerical

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin numer(us) number + -ical

Explanation

Anything numerical is related to numbers or can be expressed in numbers. Your height is a numerical concept, but your love for your friends is not. You will learn many numerical concepts in math class: anything that has to do with numbers in any way can be referred to as numerical. Mathematicians deal with numerical issues, but poets do not — unless they're counting syllables, which is numerical because it involves numbers. Some people are better with numerical concepts than others — like accountants, statisticians, and math teachers.

Example Sentences

Released 45 years ago this month, the anniversary of “Blow Out” coincides with a much less celebratory event: America’s semiquincentennial — or the country’s 250th birthday, if, like me, you’re easily confused by numerical multipliers.

From Salon • Jul. 4, 2026

PSG have the numerical advantage in terms of Champions League wins.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

The way it works is guests’ faces are scanned, converted into a numerical identifier and matched with ticket data.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

The rise of AI technology, which requires far more energy than ordinary computing, has occasioned data centers’ dramatic numerical growth.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

But nowadays everybody knows that zero can’t really sit anywhere on the number line, because it has a definite numerical value of its own.

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