numeral

1 of 2

adjective

nu·​mer·​al ˈnü-mə-rəl How to pronounce numeral (audio)
ˈnüm-rə-;
ˈnyü-mə-,
ˈnyüm-rə-
1
: of, relating to, or expressing numbers
2
: consisting of numbers or numerals
numerally adverb

numeral

2 of 2

noun

1
: a conventional symbol that represents a number
2
numerals plural : numbers that designate by year a school or college class and that are awarded for distinction in an extracurricular activity

Example Sentences

Noun a birthday candle in the shape of the numeral 4
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Known as the Tank Losange or the Parallélogramme, this style had everything on its dial rakishly shifted 30 degrees to the right, its two vertical shafts connected by two oblique ones, with the numeral 12 sitting in the upper right-hand corner of the dial and the 6 in the opposite corner. New York Times, 19 Feb. 2021 On his left arm, the comedian has a kneeling firefighter tattoo along with the firefighter's prayer and the Roman numeral nine, which likely represents the month his father died. Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 2 May 2023 Plus, the date window is small enough to allow room for the three o'clock numeral to still be visible. Men's Health, 24 Feb. 2023 Last season, the Heat offered eight numeral styles to choose from, creating 5,256 potential number/style combinations, from 00 to 99, plus single digits. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 9 Nov. 2022 People should remember that the first character is always a letter, not a numeral. Emily Wilder, The Arizona Republic, 2 Oct. 2020 This may be no coincidence since angel numbers are repeating number sequences often used as guides for deeper spiritual exploration with each numeral having its own significance. Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2022 The Hindu-Arabic system is a place-value system, meaning the position of a numeral indicates its value. Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 13 Jan. 2021 In addition to the team’s outlets, Mashup jerseys will be available at the Heat Jersey Lab outside Section 112 of FTX Arena, where the team again will offer fans numeral customization. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 9 Nov. 2022
Noun
The players were familiar, but LIV’s 54-hole events — the name derives from the Roman numerals for that number — were jarring, with blaring music and golfers in shorts not facing the specter of being unceremoniously cut midway through. Alan Blinder, New York Times, 6 June 2023 Featuring an automatic movement handcrafted in Bremont’s headquarters at Henley-on-Thames, located 37 miles west of London, the MBII King Charles LE exudes an ultra-classic feel with its white metal dial and black numerals, housed in a 43mm stainless-steel case. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Apr. 2023 Key findings include previously unseen markings that could be Roman numerals, traces of copper alloy and gypsum plaster, and tool marks left during both the stone’s original carving and a 1951 repair. Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2023 The Portofino Chronograph 39 has a fairly minimalist dial to accommodate the smaller case, cutting out the day and date displays, and largely uses stick hour markers, with Roman numerals marking only the 12 and 6 o’clock. Louisa Ballhaus, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2023 But support from Silicon Valley is helping to reignite the Kaktovik numerals. Amory Tillinghast-raby, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2023 On the outside of the football coaches trailers, in blue numerals, the years are listed when USD won or shared the PFL titles. Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2023 The two have three children: Blue Ivy Carter, 11—named after Jay-Z’s Blueprint albums, and Ivy for the number (written in Roman numerals as IV) because Jay-Z was born on December 4, Beyoncé was born on September 4 and the couple wedded on April 4—and in 2017, their twins Rumi and Sir were born. Arianna Johnson, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023 There is also silver trim around the numerals on the red jersey. José M. Romero, The Arizona Republic, 20 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'numeral.' 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

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Late Latin numerālis, from Latin numerus number entry 1 + -ālis -al entry 1

Noun

derivative of numeral entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of numeral was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near numeral

Cite this Entry

“Numeral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/numeral. Accessed 10 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

numeral

noun
nu·​mer·​al
ˈn(y)üm-(ə-)rəl
1
: a symbol or group of symbols representing a number
2
plural : numbers that designate by year a school or college class and that are awarded for distinction (as in sports)

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