numerical

American  

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

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• numerically adverb
• numericalness noun
• unnumerical adjective

Etymology

Origin of numerical

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

Example Sentences

One way to describe an AI model is in terms of bits, which refers to the amount of code needed to render a numerical value in ones and zeros, the language of computing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

That’s 630,000 more, in numerical terms, the largest gap in records dating back to 2013 and up from 29.8% a year earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Kühne's research group is developing advanced numerical techniques designed to be both efficient and capable of accurately reproducing the chemical and physical behavior of complex materials.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

And at GCSE, there was a proposal to move to the grading system used in England and Wales, where a numerical system from 9-1 is used where 9 is the highest grade.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

Like the Greeks, the Hebrews used letters from their alphabet to represent numbers, so every word had a numerical value.

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