mathematical
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or of the nature of mathematics.
mathematical truth.
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employed in the operations of mathematics.
mathematical instruments.
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having the exactness, precision, or certainty of mathematics.
- Synonyms:
- rigorous, meticulous, precise, exact
adjective
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of, used in, or relating to mathematics
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characterized by or using the precision of mathematics; exact
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using, determined by, or in accordance with the principles of mathematics
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mathematical
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin mathēmatic ( us ) pertaining to mathematics + -al 1
Explanation
Anything mathematical has to do with the science of numbers and shapes, or is as precise and exact as a mathematical calculation. If you weigh your new puppy's food on a digital scale each morning, you can say you're feeding her with mathematical precision. And when you work on problems in algebra class, you're most likely using mathematical formulas to solve them. Mathematical is derived from the Greek mathēmatike tekhnē, "mathematical science," and its root, which means "to learn."
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.
A few years ago, after the AlphaFold milestone, Hassabis launched a company inside Google called Isomorphic Labs, a nod to the mathematical term describing objects with the same form, shape or structure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
The advances are forcing those in the field to wonder whether this spells the end of mathematical research.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
The research team also used mathematical modelling to investigate how the spread of megaraptors around the world might have changed over time, based on fossils discovered so far, dinosaurs' evolutionary trees, geography and climate.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
It’s a mathematical fact of life that a portfolio that loses 20% and then gains 20% will still be down 4%, while one that loses and gains 30% will still be down 9%.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Naturally, as soon as they became familiar with the geometrical techniques of perspective representation, artists became fascinated by mathematical shapes and the difficulties of drawing them.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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