definitions

ordinal number

noun

Also called ordinal numeral. any of the numbers that express degree, quality, or position in a series, as first, second, and third (distinguished from cardinal number).
Mathematics. a symbol denoting both the cardinal number and the ordering of a given set, being identical for two ordered sets having elements that can be placed into one-to-one correspondence, the correspondence preserving the order of the elements.

RELATED CONTENT

Why Does September Come From The Word “Seven”?With respect to the calendar, September marks the beginning of the months that signify nothing other than their numerical position in the year.
READ MORE
What Do Hurricane Category Numbers Mean?Part of the drama of hurricane season revolves around the predicting and changing of the severity – or category – of the storm.
READ MORE

Nearby words

orderly officer, orderly room, orders, orders, holy, ordinal, ordinal number, ordinal numbers, ordinal scale, ordinance, ordinand, ordinariate

Origin of ordinal number

First recorded in 1600–10
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for ordinal numbers

ordinal number

noun

a number denoting relative position in a sequence, such as first, second, thirdSometimes shortened to: ordinal
logic maths a measure of not only the size of a set but also the order of its elements
Compare cardinal number
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for ordinal numbers

ordinal number

[ ôr′dn-əl ]

A number, such as 3rd, 11th, or 412th, used in counting to indicate position in a series but not quantity. Compare cardinal number.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Culture definitions for ordinal numbers

ordinal numbers

Numbers that indicate the order or position of something in a group or set, such as first, second, or fifteenth. (Compare cardinal numbers.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.