mathematical

What it means

1. Of, or relating to mathematics.

   a mathematical problem

   5 more examples

   […]he looked up the uninteresting left road to the fortifications. It was new, long, white, regular, tapering to a vanishing point, like a lesson in perspective. […] Smaller and smaller she waned up the rigid mathematical road, still gazing at the soldier aloft, as Pierston gazed at her.

   1897, Thomas Hardy, The Well-Beloved

   It has been at least an academic tradition, if no more, that mathematical studies militate against amatory inclinations.

   1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 149

   Although Galileo had designed a pendulum clock, he never actually constructed one. The first pendulum clock was constructed by the Dutch physicist Christian Huygens (1629–1695) in 1657. He also developed the mathematical theory of the pendulum. Newton also studied the motion of a pendulum and experimented with pendulums made of different materials and of different lengths.

   1961, Henry Semat, Fundamentals of PHYSICS, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, page 161

   Some poems, echoing the purpose of early poetic treatises on scientific principles, attempt to elucidate the mathematical concepts that underlie prime numbers. Others play with primes’ cultural associations. Still others derive their structure from mathematical patterns involving primes.

   2013 July-August, Sarah Glaz, “Ode to Prime Numbers”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4

   Look closely at the pretty seashell print on these blouses. They’re actually formulated from mathematical equations!

   2020 February 7, AJ Willingham, “What a great week for rescue pets!”, in CNN

2. figurativelyExtremely precise and accurate, as though having the exactness of a mathematical equation.

   Lucinda Childs got her start with the postmodern Judson Dance Theater and became known for precise, almost mathematical choreographic patterns.

   2016 December 1, “Dance Listings for Dec. 2-8”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 16 Jun 2022

3. Possible but highly improbable.

   The team has a mathematical chance of being promoted, but they need to win the next seven matches.

In a sentence

a mathematical problem

Where it comes from

1. Medieval Latinmathēmaticālis
2. Middle Englishmathematicalle
3. Englishmathematical

From Middle English mathematicalle, mathematical, from Medieval Latin mathēmaticālis.