Meanings
numerate1
present singular third person numerates · participle present numerating · participle past numerated · past numerated
numerate2
comparative more numerate · superlative most numerate
- 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 8Antonyms: innumerate, dyscalculic
numerate3
- 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 12 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 114Now 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
adjectiveHaving numeracy.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveable to understand and use numbers
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
numerate · verb
- Latinnumerātus
- Englishnumerate
From Latin numerātus, perfect past participle of numerō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix, of participial origin)). By surface analysis, Latin numerus + -ate.
More words from Latin
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
- Latinnumerātus
- Middle Englishnumerat, numerate
- Englishnumerate
From Middle English numerat, numerate, from Latin numerātus, perfect past participle of numerō (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix, of participial origin)).
More words from Middle English, Latin
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
numerate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/numerate
“numerate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/numerate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “numerate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/numerate.
Source: numerate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.