numeral

nu·mer·al
N1U1M3E1R1A1L1
UK/ˈnjuːməɹəl/UK/ˈnjuːmɹəl/US/ˈnuməɹəl/US/ˈnumɹəl/

noun

A symbol that is not a word and represents a number, such as the Arabic numerals 1, 2, 3 or the Roman numerals I, V, X, L.

“Jacks, queens, and kings are not numerals.”

Similar
numericnumericalnumber
OriginMiddle English numeral ← Latin numerālis ← Middle French numeral →
Less commonScrabble 9
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Meanings

nounnumeral (plural numerals)

plural numerals

  1. A symbol that is not a word and represents a number, such as the Arabic numerals 1, 2, 3 or the Roman numerals I, V, X, L.
  2. A representation of a number composed of such symbols.

    Compare the numeral for the product with the original decimal numeral.

    1966, Robert Lee Morton, Modern Mathematics Through Discovery, page 97
  3. human sciencesA number word, a simple or compound word for a number often having particular grammatical attributes depending on the language.

    We use the term numeral for linguistic expressions and number for meanings. For example, five is a numeral expressing the number "5" - and fifteen hundred and one thousand five hundred are different numerals expressing the same number, "1,500".

    2002, Laurie Bauer, Rodney Huddleston, “Lexical word-formation”, in The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, page 1715
  4. card gamesA card whose rank is a number (usually including the ace as 1).

    Jacks, queens, and kings are not numerals.

adjectivenumeral (not comparable)
  1. not comparableOf or relating to numbers; numerical.

    A long train of numeral progressions.

    1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC

    Synonyms: numeric

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf or relating to numbers; numerical.

Similar
numeric

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveof or relating to or denoting numbers

Similar
numericalnumeric

nouna symbol used to represent a number

Similar
number
Broader
symbol
Also see
ciphernumbernumericnumerical

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Frenchnumeral
  2. Latinnumerālis“pertaining to a number”
  3. Middle Englishnumeral
  4. Englishnumeral

As an adjective, from Middle English numeral, numerall, from Latin numerālis (“pertaining to a number”), from numerus (“a number”). As a noun, via Middle French numeral.

More words from Middle English, Latin, Middle French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic عَدَد, رَقْم
  • عَدَد (ʕadad)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • رَقْم (raqm)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • عَدَد (ʕadad)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • رَقْم (raqm)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Bengali সংখ্যা, অঙ্ক
  • সংখ্যা (śoṅkha)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • অঙ্ক (oṅko)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • সংখ্যা (śoṅkha)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Bulgarian ци́фра, число́
  • ци́фра (cífra)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • число́ (čisló)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • числи́телно и́ме (čislítelno íme)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • числи́телно (čislítelno)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Catalan número, xifra
  • númeronon-word symbol that represents a number
  • xifranon-word symbol that represents a number
  • númeroword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • xifraword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • numeralword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Chinese Cantonese 數字 /数字, 數詞 /数词
  • 數字 /数字 (sou³ zi⁶)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • 數詞 /数词 (sou³ ci⁴)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • 數字 /数字 (sou³ zi⁶)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Chinese Mandarin 數字 /数字, 數詞 /数词
  • 數字 /数字 (shùzì)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • 數詞 /数词 (shùcí)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • 數字 /数字 (shùzì)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Czech číslice, číslovka
  • číslicenon-word symbol that represents a number
  • číslovkaword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • numeraleword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Danish tal, talord
  • talnon-word symbol that represents a number
  • talordword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • numeraleword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Dutch cijfer, telwoord
  • cijfernon-word symbol that represents a number
  • telwoordword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Esperanto cifero, numeralo
  • ciferonon-word symbol that represents a number
  • numeraloword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • nombrovortoword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Estonian arvsõna
  • arvsõnaword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Finnish numero, numero
  • numeronon-word symbol that represents a number
  • numeroword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • numeraaliword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
French chiffre, chiffre
  • chiffrenon-word symbol that represents a number
  • chiffreword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
German Zahl, Ziffer
  • Zahlnon-word symbol that represents a number
  • Ziffernon-word symbol that represents a number
  • Zahlzeichennon-word symbol that represents a number
  • Numeraleword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • Zahlwortword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Greek αριθμητικό, αριθμός
  • αριθμητικό (arithmitikó)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • αριθμός (arithmós)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • νούμερο (noúmero)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • ψηφίο (psifío)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Hebrew סִפְרָה, סִפְרָה
  • סִפְרָה (sifrá)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • סִפְרָה (sifrá)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Hindi अंक, संख्या
  • अंक (aṅk)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • संख्या (saṅkhyā)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • नंबर (nambar)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • अंक (aṅk)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • संख्या (saṅkhyā)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Hungarian szám, számjegy
  • számnon-word symbol that represents a number
  • számjegynon-word symbol that represents a number
  • számnévword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Icelandic tala, töluorð
  • talanon-word symbol that represents a number
  • töluorðword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Indonesian angka
  • angkanon-word symbol that represents a number
Irish figiúr, uimhir
  • figiúrnon-word symbol that represents a number
  • uimhirnon-word symbol that represents a number
Italian numero, cifra
  • numeroword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • cifraword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Japanese 数字, 数字
  • 数字 (sūji)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • 数字 (sūji)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • 数詞 (sūshi)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Korean 숫자, 수자
  • 숫자 (sutja)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • 수자 (suja)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • 숫자 (sutja)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • 수사 (susa)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Latin numerāle, numerus
  • numerālenon-word symbol that represents a number
  • numerusword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Latvian cipars, skaitļa vārds
  • ciparsnon-word symbol that represents a number
  • skaitļa vārdsword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • numerālisword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Lithuanian skaitmuo, skaitvardis
  • skaitmuonon-word symbol that represents a number
  • skaitvardisword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Malay angka, angka
  • angkanon-word symbol that represents a number
  • angkaword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Māori tohutau, tūtau
  • tohutaunon-word symbol that represents a number
  • tūtaunon-word symbol that represents a number
Norwegian Bokmål tall, tall
  • tallnon-word symbol that represents a number
  • tallword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • tallordword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • numeraleword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Norwegian Nynorsk tal
  • talnon-word symbol that represents a number
Polish cyfra, liczebnik
  • cyfranon-word symbol that represents a number
  • liczebnikword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Portuguese número, numeral
  • númeroword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • numeralword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Romanian număr, număr
  • numărnon-word symbol that represents a number
  • numărword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • numeralword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Russian ци́фра, число́
  • ци́фра (cífra)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • число́ (čisló)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • но́мер (nómer)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • числи́тельное (čislítelʹnoje)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • и́мя числи́тельное (ímja čislítelʹnoje)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • ци́фра (cífra)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • число́ (čisló)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Scottish Gaelic figear
  • figearnon-word symbol that represents a number
Slovak číslica, číslovka
  • číslicanon-word symbol that represents a number
  • číslovkaword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Spanish número, cifra
  • númeronon-word symbol that represents a number
  • cifranon-word symbol that represents a number
  • guarismonon-word symbol that represents a number
  • letra numeralword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • numeralnumerical
Swedish tal, siffra
  • talnon-word symbol that represents a number
  • siffranon-word symbol that represents a number
  • siffraword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • räkneordword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Tagalog pamilang, pambilang
  • pamilangnon-word symbol that represents a number
  • pambilangnon-word symbol that represents a number
Thai ตัวเลข, เลข
  • ตัวเลข (dtuua-lêek)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • เลข (lêek)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • ตัวเลข (dtuua-lêek)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Turkish rakam, rakam
  • rakamnon-word symbol that represents a number
  • rakamword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • adetword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • sayıword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Ukrainian ци́фра, число́
  • ци́фра (cýfra)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • число́ (čysló)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • числі́вник (čyslívnyk)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Urdu عَدَد, رَقَم
  • عَدَد ('adad)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • رَقَم (raqam)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • نَمْبَر (nambar)non-word symbol that represents a number
  • عَدَد ('adad)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
  • رَقَم (raqam)word or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Vietnamese số, chữ số
  • sốnon-word symbol that represents a number
  • chữ sốnon-word symbol that represents a number
  • số từword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Welsh rhifolyn, rhifolyn
  • rhifolynnon-word symbol that represents a number
  • rhifolynword or symbol representing a number — see also noun numeral
Yiddish ציפֿער
  • ציפֿער (tsifer)non-word symbol that represents a number
Cite this entry
APA

numeral. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/numeral

MLA

“numeral.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/numeral. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “numeral,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/numeral.

Source: numeral on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.