Meanings
arithmetic1
plural arithmetics · alternative obsolete arsmetrike · alternative obsolete arsmetryke · alternative obsolete arithmetike
- uncountableusuallyThe mathematics of numbers (integers, rational numbers, real numbers, or complex numbers) under the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Note that all correctly rounding arithmetics satisfy property A1, as do those with properly truncating addition. All faithful binary arithmetics and all arithmetics with either properly truncating or correctly chopping addition satisfy property A2.
1992, Douglas M. Priest, On Properties of Floating Point Arithmetics, University of California, Berkeley, page 171 more example
[The researchers] noticed many of their pieces of [plastic marine] debris sported surface pits around two microns across.[…]Closer examination showed that some of these pits did, indeed, contain bacteria, and that in several cases these bacteria were dividing and thus, by the perverse arithmetic of biological terminology, multiplying.
2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845, archived from the original on 08 Mar 2023 - dateduncountableusuallyNumber theory.
alternative obsolete arsmetrike · alternative obsolete arsmetryke · alternative obsolete arithmetike
- not comparableIncreasing or decreasing by an arithmetic progression.
Near-synonym: linear
1 more example
Growth in the most mature markets is likely to be arithmetic; on what rational basis could one hope for exponential growth there?
Synonyms: linear
arithmetic2
- not comparablemathematicsOf, relating to, or using arithmetic; arithmetical.
arithmetic geometry
1 more example
Moreover, the latest work of Katz, involving the so-called 'Larsen alternative', provides new criteria, of a very arithmetic nature, to (almost) determine the rational monodromy group
2008, Emmanuel Kowalski, The large sieve and its applications: arithmetic geometry, random ..., page 189
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveIncreasing or decreasing by an arithmetic progression.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiverelating to or involving arithmetic
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
arithmetic · noun, adjective
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂er-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂reh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂rey-
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓ρῐθμός (ărĭthmós)
- Ancient Greekἀριθμέω (arithméō)
- Ancient Greekἀριθμητῐκός (arithmētĭkós)
- Ancient Greekἀριθμητῐκή (arithmētĭkḗ)
- Latinarithmētica
- Ancient Greekἀριθμητῐκός (arithmētĭkós)
- Latinarithmēticu
- Old Frencharismetique
- Middle Englisharsmetike
- Englisharithmetic
From Middle English arsmetike, from Old French arismetique, from Latin arithmētica, from Ancient Greek ἀριθμητική (τέχνη) (arithmētikḗ (tékhnē), “(art of) counting”), feminine of ἀριθμητικός (arithmētikós, “arithmetical”), from ἀριθμός (arithmós, “number, counting”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ri-dʰh₁-mó-s, form of *h₂rey- (“to count, reason”). Used in English since 13th century.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →arithmetic · adjective
- Ancient Greekἀριθμητῐκός
- Latinarithmēticus
- Frencharithmétique
- Englisharithmetic
From French arithmétique, from Latin arithmēticus, from Ancient Greek ἀριθμητῐκός (arithmētĭkós).
More words from French, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀριθμητική
- ἀριθμητική (arithmētikḗ)mathematics of numbers, etc.
Arabic حساب, العدّ
- حسابmathematics of numbers, etc.
- العدّmathematics of numbers, etc.
Basque aritmetika
- aritmetikamathematics of numbers, etc.
Bulgarian аритме́тика, аритметичен
- аритме́тика (aritmétika)mathematics of numbers, etc.
- аритметичен (aritmetičen)arithmetical
- аритметичен (aritmetičen)computed solely using addition
Catalan aritmètica
- aritmèticamathematics of numbers, etc.
Chinese Mandarin 算術 /算术, 算術的 /算术的
- 算術 /算术 (suànshù)mathematics of numbers, etc.
- 算術的 /算术的 (suànshù de)arithmetical
Czech aritmetika, aritmetický
- aritmetikamathematics of numbers, etc.
- aritmetickýarithmetical
Dutch aritmetica, rekenkunde
- aritmeticamathematics of numbers, etc.
- rekenkundemathematics of numbers, etc.
- rekenkundigarithmetical
Esperanto aritmetiko, kalkularto
- aritmetikomathematics of numbers, etc.
- kalkulartomathematics of numbers, etc.
Estonian aritmeetika
- aritmeetikamathematics of numbers, etc.
Finnish aritmetiikka, laskuoppi
- aritmetiikkamathematics of numbers, etc.
- laskuoppimathematics of numbers, etc.
- aritmeettinenarithmetical
- aritmeettinencomputed solely using addition
French arithmétique, d'arithmétique
- arithmétiquemathematics of numbers, etc.
- d'arithmétiquearithmetical
- de l’arithmétiquearithmetical
- arithmétiquecomputed solely using addition
German Arithmetik, Rechenkunst
- Arithmetikmathematics of numbers, etc.
- Rechenkunstmathematics of numbers, etc.
- Rechenkundemathematics of numbers, etc.
- arithmetischarithmetical
- arithmetischcomputed solely using addition
Greek αριθμητική, αριθμητικός
- αριθμητική (arithmitikí)mathematics of numbers, etc.
- αριθμητικός (arithmitikós)arithmetical
Hebrew חֶשְׁבּוֹן
- חֶשְׁבּוֹן (ẖeshbón)mathematics of numbers, etc.
Hindi अंकगणित, अंकगणितीय
- अंकगणित (aṅkgaṇit)mathematics of numbers, etc.
- अंकगणितीय (aṅkagṇitīya)arithmetical
Hungarian számtan, aritmetika
- számtanmathematics of numbers, etc.
- aritmetikamathematics of numbers, etc.
- számtaniarithmetical
- számtanicomputed solely using addition
Indonesian aritmetika, aritmetika
- aritmetikamathematics of numbers, etc.
- aritmetikaarithmetical
Irish uimhríocht, áireamh
- uimhríochtmathematics of numbers, etc.
- áireamhmathematics of numbers, etc.
- figiúirímathematics of numbers, etc.
- uimhríochtaarithmetical
- uimhríochtúilarithmetical
Italian aritmetica, aritmetico
- aritmeticamathematics of numbers, etc.
- aritmeticoarithmetical
- aritmeticaarithmetical
Japanese 算数
- 算数 (sansū)mathematics of numbers, etc.
Korean 산술
- 산술 (sansul)mathematics of numbers, etc.
Latvian aritmētika, aritmētisks
- aritmētikamathematics of numbers, etc.
- aritmētisksarithmetical
Lithuanian aritmetika
- aritmetikamathematics of numbers, etc.
Norwegian aritmetikk, aritmetisk
- aritmetikkmathematics of numbers, etc.
- aritmetiskarithmetical
Persian حساب, اشمار
- حساب (hesâb)mathematics of numbers, etc.
- اشمار (ošmâr)mathematics of numbers, etc.
Polish arytmetyka, arytmetyczny
- arytmetykamathematics of numbers, etc.
- arytmetycznyarithmetical
Portuguese aritmética, aritmético
- aritméticamathematics of numbers, etc.
- aritméticoarithmetical
- aritméticocomputed solely using addition
Romanian aritmetică, aritmetic
- aritmeticămathematics of numbers, etc.
- aritmeticarithmetical
Russian арифме́тика, арифмети́ческий
- арифме́тика (arifmétika)mathematics of numbers, etc.
- арифмети́ческий (arifmetíčeskij)arithmetical
- арифмети́ческий (arifmetíčeskij)computed solely using addition
Spanish aritmética, arismética
- aritméticamathematics of numbers, etc.
- arisméticamathematics of numbers, etc.
- aritméticoarithmetical
- arismético (desus.)arithmetical
Swedish aritmetik, aritmetisk
- aritmetikmathematics of numbers, etc.
- aritmetiskarithmetical
- compounds with aritmetikarithmetical
- aritmetiskcomputed solely using addition
Tagalog bilnuran, aritmetika
- bilnuranmathematics of numbers, etc.
- aritmetikamathematics of numbers, etc.
Thai เลขคณิต
- เลขคณิต (lek-ka-nit)mathematics of numbers, etc.
Ukrainian арифме́тика, аритме́тика
- арифме́тика (aryfmétyka)mathematics of numbers, etc.
- аритме́тика (arytmétyka)mathematics of numbers, etc.
- арифмети́чний (aryfmetýčnyj)arithmetical
Urdu حساب
- حساب (hisāb)mathematics of numbers, etc.
Vietnamese số học
- số họcmathematics of numbers, etc.
Welsh rhifyddeg, rhifyddiaeth
- rhifyddegmathematics of numbers, etc.
- rhifyddiaethmathematics of numbers, etc.
- rhifyddolarithmetical
Cite this entry
arithmetic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/arithmetic
“arithmetic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/arithmetic. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “arithmetic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/arithmetic.
Source: arithmetic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.