arithmetic

Everyday

1. Arithmetic is the part of maths about numbers and the four basic operations: adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. tree →
2. Arithmetic is the working out of sums, or how good someone is at it. tree →
3. (informal) The arithmetic of something is the numbers behind it, like «the arithmetic of the budget». tree →

In the lessons

In school, arithmetic is the core of primary maths: times tables, column addition, long division and mental maths. In everyday life we use arithmetic when shopping, cooking or telling the time. An arithmetic sequence adds the same number each time (2, 5, 8, 11). Phrases: mental arithmetic, arithmetic test, arithmetic sequence, simple arithmetic.

Examples

• We have an arithmetic test on Friday. tree →
• Mental arithmetic helps you add up prices in the shop. tree →
• Arithmetic includes adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. tree →
• 3, 7, 11, 15 is an arithmetic sequence, adding 4 each time. tree →
• Check your arithmetic: 6 × 7 is 42, not 48. tree →
• Simple arithmetic shows we don't have enough money. tree →
• Her arithmetic is very quick. tree →

Note

Uncountable noun: «some arithmetic», not «an arithmetic». As a noun say uh-RITH-muh-tic; as an adjective in «arithmetic sequence», ar-ith-MET-ic. Arithmetic is part of mathematics; algebra uses letters as well as numbers.

In Jewish tradition

In school, arithmetic is the core of primary maths: times tables, column addition, long division and mental maths. In everyday life we use arithmetic when shopping, cooking or telling the time. An arithmetic sequence adds the same number each time (2, 5, 8, 11). Phrases: mental arithmetic, arithmetic test, arithmetic sequence, simple arithmetic.

Examples

• Brooks, the Philosophy of Arithmetic, Phila- delphia 1876, II. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →
• Miller farther says: "The discovery of zero, as used above, implies its use in positional arithmetic. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →
• Even if such an early date cannot be established, it appears likely that scholars will hereafter attribute the discovery of positional arithmetic to the Babylonians instead of the Hindoos." (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →

Note

Uncountable noun: «some arithmetic», not «an arithmetic». As a noun say uh-RITH-muh-tic; as an adjective in «arithmetic sequence», ar-ith-MET-ic. Arithmetic is part of mathematics; algebra uses letters as well as numbers.