algebra

noun

al·​ge·​bra ˈal-jə-brə How to pronounce algebra (audio)
1
: a generalization of arithmetic in which letters representing numbers are combined according to the rules of arithmetic
2
: any of various systems or branches of mathematics or logic concerned with the properties and relationships of abstract entities (such as complex numbers, matrices, sets, vectors, groups, rings, or fields) manipulated in symbolic form under operations often analogous to those of arithmetic compare boolean algebra
algebraist noun

Examples of algebra in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web They are also used to study the structure of mathematical objects called cluster algebras and are connected to elliptic curves — which were the key to cracking Fermat’s Last Theorem. Alex Stone, Quanta Magazine, 16 Nov. 2023 Humans who compete in the IMO do not just solve geometric problems, however: its problems also cover other areas of mathematics such as algebra, number theory and combinatorics. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2024 Catanese launched algebra as a voluntary after-school program. Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 14 Jan. 2024 At the time, Pueblo del Sol had neither a geometry nor an algebra program. Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 14 Jan. 2024 Wesley, a high-school algebra teacher in Dalton, Mass., has taken in more than 70 children for foster care over the years, some for just a night or two. Amy Dockser Marcus, WSJ, 26 Dec. 2023 Maranda has long memorized the steps from active shooter training, as rote as solving an algebra equation: Barricade the door. Emily Baumgaertner, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023 His clues include being 'top of the class', algebra, ringing a tiny bell, and a brief flash of a shark. Alicia Vrajlal, refinery29.com, 24 Oct. 2023 Langlands proposed that there should be a way of pairing important objects from calculus called automorphic forms with objects from algebra called Galois groups. Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'algebra.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, from Arabic al-jabr, literally, the reduction

First Known Use

1551, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of algebra was in 1551

Dictionary Entries Near algebra

Cite this Entry

“Algebra.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/algebra. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

algebra

noun
al·​ge·​bra ˈal-jə-brə How to pronounce algebra (audio)
: a branch of mathematics that uses letters to represent numbers and that studies numbers and the operations (as multiplication and addition) that are used on them
algebraic
ˌal-jə-ˈbrā-ik
adjective
algebraically
-ˈbrā-ə-k(ə-)lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on algebra

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