Roman numeral

American  

noun

Roman numerals plural

1. one of the numerals in the ancient Roman system of notation, still used for certain limited purposes, as in some pagination, dates on buildings, etc. The common basic symbols are I (=1), V (=5), X (=10), L (=50), C (=100), D (=500), and M (=1000). The Roman numerals for one to nine are: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX. A bar over a letter multiplies it by 1000; thus, X̅ equals 10,000. Integers are written according to these two rules: If a letter is immediately followed by one of equal or lesser value, the two values are added; thus, XX equals 20, XV equals 15, VI equals 6. If a letter is immediately followed by one of greater value, the first is subtracted from the second; thus, IV equals 4, XL equals 40, CM equals 900. Examples: XLVII(=47), CXVI(=116), MCXX(=1120), MCMXIV(=1914). Roman numerals may be written in lowercase letters, though they appear more commonly in capitals.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Roman numerals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Roman numeral

First recorded in 1725–35

Example Sentences

But Hollywood’s biggest zeitgeist in years was propelled by a pair of movies without a roman numeral, a Jedi or a superhero in sight.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 24, 2023

It is an irresistible angle for journalists, he admits, and the patrician roman numeral provides an easy stereotype.

From Time Magazine Archive

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

I turned it over in my avatar’s hand, watching the torchlight play across the roman numeral, and that was when I spotted two small lines of text engraved into the metal.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

The new page, too, should be numbered at the top with an arabic, not a roman, numeral.

From News Writing The Gathering , Handling and Writing of News Stories by Spencer, M. Lyle (Matthew Lyle)