number

verb

numbered; numbering ˈnəm-b(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: count, enumerate

2

: to claim as part of a total : include

3

: to restrict to a definite number

your days are numbered

4

: to assign a number to

number the pages

5

: to amount to in number : total

the crew numbers 100

intransitive verb

1

: to reach a total number

2

: to call off numbers in sequence

numberable

ˈnəm-b(ə-)rə-bəl 

adjective

numberer

ˈnəm-bər-ər 

noun

Synonyms of number

• count
• tell

Examples of number in a Sentence

She numbers and arranges the photographs according to when they were taken.

Each print is signed and numbered by the artist.

The team's coach bought all the players numbered jerseys.

In that year, European settlers in the area numbered nearly 15,000.

The animal, which once numbered in the millions, is now extinct.

He numbers her with the other great poets of the time.

Recent Examples on the Web

This particular market lures in people from all across the region, numbering as many as 3,500 on summer days. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 4 June 2026

Five of them will be white balls numbered 1 to 69. —Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 4 June 2026

Serial numbered to 100 with the first 10 being the more limited Green foil background version and the other 90 in red, PMGs quickly became some of Jordan’s most desirable cards. —Brooks Peck, New York Times, 2 June 2026

Those groups, now numbering 14, include the Women’s Business Development Council and SCORE, a network of volunteer business mentors. —Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English nombren, noumbren, nowmeryn, in part derivative of nombre number entry 1, in part borrowed from Anglo-French nombrer, numbrer, going back to Latin numerāre "to add up, count, reckon, compute," derivative of numerus "numerical sum or symbol, quantity, aggregate" — more at number entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing number

• a good number of
• agree in number
• algebraic number
• a number of
• any number of
• atomic number
• Avogadro's number
• beyond number
• Brinell hardness number
• call number
• cardinal number
• cetane number
• chromosome number
• complex number
• compound number
• conjugate complex number
• coordination number
• counting number
• denominate number
• do a number on
• even number
• Fibonacci number
• f-number
• go number one
• have someone's number
• hot number
• imaginary number
• index number
• in number
• irrational number
• license number
• look out for number one
• Mach number
• magnetic quantum number
• mass number
• mixed number
• natural number
• number cruncher
• number line
• number one
• number one pick
• number plate
• number sign
• number theory
• number two
• octane number
• odd number
• one of our/your/their number
• opposite number
• ordinal number
• perfect number
• pre-number
• prime number
• public enemy number one
• quantum number
• rational number
• real number
• registration number
• Reynolds number
• round number
• serial number
• Social Security number
• someone's number is up
• telephone number
• triangular number
• wave number
• went number two
• whole number
• without number
• wrong number

Rhymes for number

• cumber
• lumber
• slumber
• umber
• encumber
• outnumber
• renumber

Kids Definition

number

1 of 2 noun

num·​ber ˈnəm-bər 

1

a

: the total of persons, things, or units taken together : amount

the number of people in the room

b

: the possibility of being counted

mosquitoes in swarms beyond number

c

: a total that is not specified : many

a number of accidents occur on wet roads

2

a

: a unit belonging to a mathematical system and subject to its laws

a number divisible by 2

b

plural : arithmetic

3

: a quality of a word form that shows whether the word is singular or plural

a verb agrees in number with its subject

4

a

: a word, symbol, or letter used to represent a mathematical number

b

: a certain numeral for telling one person or thing from another or from others

a phone number

5

: one in a series

the June number of a magazine

6

: a musical, theatrical, or literary selection

number

2 of 2 verb

numbered; numbering -b(ə-)riŋ 

1

: count entry 1 sense 1a, enumerate

2

: to claim as part of a total : include

was numbered among the guests

3

: to restrict to a definite number

vacation days are numbered now

4

: to assign a number to

number the pages of a scrapbook

5

: to add up to or have a total of

our group numbered ten in all

numberer

-bər-ər 

noun