Numeral

Numeral

Noun / Adjective · /ˈnjuː.mər.əl/

Definition

(Noun) a figure, symbol, or group of symbols denoting a number; a written or printed sign representing a number (Roman numerals: I, V, X; Arabic numerals: 1, 2, 3); (Adjective, rare) of or relating to a number or numbers.

Origin

From Late Latin numeralis (of or belonging to a number), from Latin numerus (number), from Proto-Indo-European *nem- (to assign, to allot). Numeral therefore being an adjective meaning relating to a number that has been substantivised — a numeral being a symbol that belongs to the domain of number. The distinction between numeral (the symbol or figure used to represent a number) and number (the abstract mathematical entity) being one of the more precise distinctions in mathematics and linguistics.