numerate

N1U1M3E1R1A1T1E1
UK/ˈnjuːməɹeɪt/US/ˈnuːməɹeɪt/UK/ˈnjuːməɹət/US/ˈnuːməɹət/

verb

To count.

UncommonScrabble 10

Meanings

numerate1

verbnumerate (third-person singular simple present numerates, present participle numerating, simple past and past participle numerated)

present singular third person numerates · participle present numerating · participle past numerated · past numerated

  1. transitiveTo count.

    Synonyms: count, enumerate, number

numerate2

adjectivenumerate (comparative more numerate, superlative most numerate)

comparative more numerate · superlative most numerate

  1. Having numeracy.

    In these days when the age of pulse was giving way to the age of tone. When the epoch of analogue (which was to say also of the richness of language, of analogy) was giving way to the digital era, the final victory of the numerate over the literate.

    2001, Salman Rushdie, Fury: A Novel, London: Jonathan Cape, →ISBN, page 8

    Antonyms: innumerate, dyscalculic

numerate3

adjectivenumerate (not comparable)
  1. not comparableobsoleteNumbered; counted.

    Whereas Patrick Hepburn of Kingſton, in the county of Haddington, hath advanced to us, by the hands of Col. Lauchlan Maclauchlan of that Ilk, the ſum of 740 l. Sterling, in numerate money of Britain; […]

    1745 October 28 (Gregorian calendar), Charles Prince of Wales [i.e., Charles Edward Stuart], “A Plea betwixt Kingston and Maclauchlan”, in The Scots Magazine, volume XIV, Edinburgh: W[illiam] Sands, A[lexander] Murray, and J[ames] Cochran, published April 1752, →OCLC, page 187, column 1
    2 more examples

    Which Ratification foresaid is granted by Laurence Lord Oliphant and his Foresaids upon the saids Earle’s paying in numerate Money to the said Lord at the Date thereof the Sum of Twenty Nine Thousand Seven Hunder and 24 Mercks Scots […]

    1623 (compiled 1750–1751), “Genealogy of the Oliphants”, in James Toshach Clark, editor, compiled by Walter MacFarlane, Genealogical Collections Concerning Families in Scotland, […] (Publications of the Scottish History Society; 34), volume II, Edinburgh: […] [A]t the University Press by T[homas] and A[rchibald] Constable for the Scottish History Society, published 1900, →OCLC, page 114

    Now if the Monads are equall in number to all numerate things, of which the word One is prædicated, by participation of which Monads every particular is ſaid to be one, there will be infinite Monads thus participated.

    1659–1660, Thomas Stanley, “[Of Physick.] Chap[ter] XVIII. Of Number.”, in The History of Philosophy, the Third and Last Volume, […], volume III, London: […] Humphrey Moseley, and Thomas Dring, […], →OCLC, 4th part (Containing the Sceptick Sect), pages 88–89

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo count.

adjectiveHaving numeracy.

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveable to understand and use numbers

Opposite

verbdetermine the number or amount of

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

numerate · verb

  1. Latinnumerātus
  2. Englishnumerate

From Latin numerātus, perfect past participle of numerō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix, of participial origin)). By surface analysis, Latin numerus + -ate.

Full word history & related roots →

numerate · adjective

From Latin numerus + -ate (adjective-forming suffix), by analogy with literate. Coined with numeracy in 1959 by the UK Committee on Education, presided over by Sir Geoffrey Crowther.

Full word history & related roots →

numerate · adjective

  1. Latinnumerātus
  2. Middle Englishnumerat, numerate
  3. Englishnumerate

From Middle English numerat, numerate, from Latin numerātus, perfect past participle of numerō (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix, of participial origin)).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian броя
  • броя (broja)count
Chinese Mandarin 數數 /数数, 計算 /计算
  • 數數 /数数 (shǔshù)count
  • 計算 /计算 (jìsuàn)count
  • 有數學能力的 /有数学能力的 (yǒu shùxué nénglì de)having the ability to understand numbers and perform arithmetic
  • 精通數學的 /精通数学的 (jīngtōng shùxué de)having the ability to understand numbers and perform arithmetic
Finnish laskea, laskutaitoinen
  • laskeacount
  • laskutaitoinenhaving the ability to understand numbers and perform arithmetic
German des Rechnens mächtig
  • des Rechnens mächtighaving the ability to understand numbers and perform arithmetic
Irish uimheartha
  • uimhearthahaving the ability to understand numbers and perform arithmetic
Russian математи́чески гра́мотный
  • математи́чески гра́мотный (matematíčeski grámotnyj)having the ability to understand numbers and perform arithmetic

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“numerate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/numerate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “numerate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/numerate.

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