as in math
the act or process of performing mathematical operations to find a value
I haven't actually done the arithmetic yet, but I suspect we're losing money on the deal
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Recent Examples of arithmetic
The first was finite fields, number systems that operate according to a cyclical form of arithmetic.
—
Konstantin Kakaes, Quanta Magazine, 20 May 2026
So instead, the agency has done some simple arithmetic: $6 million in operating expenses divided by 40,000 riders equals $150.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 13 May 2026
Stories only make sense when something is lost and something is found: the arithmetic of a narrative.
—Eli Raphael, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
At one to three deaths per thousand cases, the arithmetic is clear: Deaths are coming.
—Jonathan Slater, Washington Post, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arithmetic
Konstantin Kakaes, Quanta Magazine, 20 May 2026
So instead, the agency has done some simple arithmetic: $6 million in operating expenses divided by 40,000 riders equals $150.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 13 May 2026
Stories only make sense when something is lost and something is found: the arithmetic of a narrative.
—Eli Raphael, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
At one to three deaths per thousand cases, the arithmetic is clear: Deaths are coming.
—Jonathan Slater, Washington Post, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arithmetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arithmetic
Noun
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PennDOT is installing about $20,000 in safety improvements at a Delaware County intersection where a college math professor was killed while riding his bicycle six months ago.—
Madeleine Wright,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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Like any astronaut crew, the resume of each of these astronauts reads like a greatest hits list of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, training, including aviation in civilian and military contexts.—
Margaret Landis,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
Noun
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Since 2022, regulators have already substantially scaled back the original Basel Endgame capital proposals, revised stress-testing transparency rules, reduced Supplementary Leverage Ratio requirements, and proposed removing Treasuries from SLR calculations.—
Mayra Rodriguez Valladares,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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Today, the calculation has changed.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arithmetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arithmetic. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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