natural number

noun

A positive integer {1, 2, 3, ...}.

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Meanings

nounnatural number (plural natural numbers)

plural natural numbers

  1. mathematicsA positive integer {1, 2, 3, ...}.
  2. mathematicsA non-negative integer {0, 1, 2, ...}.

    A careful derivation of the arithmetic properties of the natural numbers #92;mathbb#123;N#125;, using induction, was done by G. Peano (1858–1932). It is a lot of fun, but we will not pursue any of it here.

    2007, Mark Bridger, REAL ANALYSIS: A Constructive Approach, Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, page 3

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
counting number

Translations

Arabic عَدَد طَبِيعِيّ, عدد طبيعي
  • عَدَد طَبِيعِيّ (ʕadad ṭabīʕiyy)(only) positive integer
  • عدد طبيعي (ʕadad ṭabīʕī)positive integer or non-negative integer
Basque zenbaki arrunt
  • zenbaki arruntpositive integer or non-negative integer
Bengali স্বাভাবিক সংখ্যা
  • স্বাভাবিক সংখ্যা (śabhabik śoṅkha)positive integer or non-negative integer
Bulgarian ця́ло положи́телно число́, ця́ло неотрица́телно число́
  • ця́ло положи́телно число́ (cjálo položítelno čisló)(only) positive integer
  • ця́ло неотрица́телно число́ (cjálo neotricátelno čisló)(only) non-negative integer
  • есте́ствено число́ (estéstveno čisló)positive integer or non-negative integer
Chinese Mandarin 自然數 /自然数
  • 自然數 /自然数 (zìránshù)positive integer or non-negative integer
Czech přirozené číslo, přirozené číslo
  • přirozené číslo(only) positive integer
  • přirozené číslopositive integer or non-negative integer
Danish positivt heltal, ikke-negativt heltal
  • positivt heltal(only) positive integer
  • ikke-negativt heltal(only) non-negative integer
  • naturligt talpositive integer or non-negative integer
Dutch natuurlijk getal, naturligt tal
  • natuurlijk getalpositive integer or non-negative integer
  • naturligt talpositive integer or non-negative integer
Esperanto natura nombro
  • natura nombro(only) positive integer
Finnish positiivinen kokonaisluku, ei-negatiivinen kokonaisluku
  • positiivinen kokonaisluku(only) positive integer
  • ei-negatiivinen kokonaisluku(only) non-negative integer
  • luonnollinen lukupositive integer or non-negative integer
French entier naturel, entier naturel
  • entier naturel(only) positive integer
  • entier naturelpositive integer or non-negative integer
  • nombre naturelpositive integer or non-negative integer
  • nombre entier naturelpositive integer or non-negative integer
German natürliche Zahl
  • natürliche Zahlpositive integer or non-negative integer
Greek φυσικός αριθμός
  • φυσικός αριθμός (fysikós arithmós)positive integer or non-negative integer
Hebrew מספר טבעי
  • מספר טבעי (mispár tiv'í)positive integer or non-negative integer
Hindi धन पूर्ण संख्या, धन पूर्णांक
  • धन पूर्ण संख्या (dhan pūrṇ saṅkhyā)positive integer or non-negative integer
  • धन पूर्णांक (dhan pūrṇāṅk)positive integer or non-negative integer
  • प्राकृतिक संख्या (prākŕtik saṅkhyā)positive integer or non-negative integer
  • प्राकृत संख्या (prākŕt saṅkhyā)positive integer or non-negative integer
Hungarian természetes szám
  • természetes számpositive integer or non-negative integer
Icelandic náttúrleg tala
  • náttúrleg talapositive integer or non-negative integer
Indonesian bilangan asli
  • bilangan aslipositive integer or non-negative integer
Italian numero naturale
  • numero naturalepositive integer or non-negative integer
Japanese 自然数, 正数
  • 自然数 (shizensū)(only) positive integer
  • 正数 (seisū)(only) positive integer
  • 自然数 (shizensū)(only) non-negative integer
  • 非負数 (hifusū)(only) non-negative integer
  • 自然数 (shizensū)positive integer or non-negative integer
Korean 자연수
  • 자연수 (jayeonsu)positive integer or non-negative integer
Māori tau tatau
  • tau tataupositive integer or non-negative integer
Persian عدد طبیعی, شمارهی طبیعی
  • عدد طبیعی(only) positive integer
  • شمارهی طبیعی (šomâre-ye tabi'i)positive integer or non-negative integer
  • عدد طبیعی ('adad-e tabi'i)positive integer or non-negative integer
Polish liczba całkowita dodatnia, liczba całkowita nieujemna
  • liczba całkowita dodatnia(only) positive integer
  • liczba całkowita nieujemna(only) non-negative integer
  • liczba naturalnapositive integer or non-negative integer
Portuguese número natural
  • número naturalpositive integer or non-negative integer
Russian натура́льное число́
  • натура́льное число́ (naturálʹnoje čisló)positive integer or non-negative integer
Spanish número entero positivo, entero positivo
  • número entero positivo(only) positive integer
  • entero positivo(only) positive integer
  • número entero no negativo(only) non-negative integer
  • entero no negativo(only) non-negative integer
  • número naturalpositive integer or non-negative integer
  • número entero no negativopositive integer or non-negative integer
  • entero no negativopositive integer or non-negative integer
Swedish naturligt tal
  • naturligt talpositive integer or non-negative integer
Tagalog bilang na panalatag, bilang na likas
  • bilang na panalatag(only) positive integer
  • bilang na likas(only) non-negative integer
  • bilang na likaspositive integer or non-negative integer
Turkish doğal sayı, sayma sayısı
  • doğal sayı(only) positive integer
  • sayma sayısı(only) non-negative integer
  • doğal sayıpositive integer or non-negative integer
Cite this entry
APA

natural number. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/natural%20number

MLA

“natural number.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/natural%20number. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “natural number,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/natural%20number.

Source: natural number on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.