adj · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:ərĭth′mətĭk
Received-Pronunciation:[əˈɹɪθmətɪk]
General-American:[əˈɹɪθmətɪk]
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
/ˌɛɹɪθˈmɛtɪk/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:EH2 R IH0 TH M EH1 T IH0 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:ER0 IH1 TH M AH0 T IH2 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Increasing or decreasing by an arithmetic progression.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
Near-synonym: linear
Growth in the most mature markets is likely to be arithmetic; on what rational basis could one hope for exponential growth there?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: linear
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of, relating to, or using arithmetic; arithmetical.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: mathematics, sciences
Examples
arithmetic geometry
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Of a progression, mean, etc, computed solely using addition.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: arithmetic
Examples
arithmetic progression
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The mathematics of numbers (integers, rational numbers, real numbers, or complex numbers) under the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
Number theory.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective
Meaning 6
relating to or involving arithmetic
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
arithmetical computations
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: arithmetical
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
the branch of pure mathematics dealing with the theory of numerical calculations
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: pure mathematics
Narrower terms: algorism
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2er- Proto-Indo-European *-éh1ti Proto-Indo-European *h2reh1- Proto-Indo-European *-éyti Proto-Indo-European *h2rey-der. Ancient Greek ᾰ̓ρῐθμός (ărĭthmós) Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *-eyéti Proto-Indo-European *-esyéti Proto-Indo-European *-éh1ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh1yeti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Ancient Greek -έω (-éō) Ancient Greek ἀριθμέω (arithméō) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Hellenic *-tós Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) ▲ Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Ancient Greek -τικός (-tikós) Ancient Greek ἀριθμητῐκός (arithmētĭkós) Ancient Greek ἀριθμητῐκή (arithmētĭkḗ)bor. Latin arithmēticabor. ▲ Ancient Greek ἀριθμητῐκός (arithmētĭkós)bor. Latin arithmēticusbor. Old French arismetiquebor. Middle English arsmetike English arithmetic From Middle English arsmetike, from Old French arismetique, from Latin arithmētica, from Ancient Greek ἀριθμητική (τέχνη) (arithmētikḗ (tékhnē), “(art of) counting”), feminine of ἀριθμητικός (arithmētikós, “arithmetical”), from ἀριθμός (arithmós, “number, counting”), from Proto-Indo-European *h2ri-dhh1-mó-s, form of *h2rey- (“to count, reason”). Used in English since 13th century.
From French arithmétique, from Latin arithmēticus, from Ancient Greek ἀριθμητῐκός (arithmētĭkós).
Across languages
Translations
125 source translations are retained for this English entry.