Standard Lemma guide

arity

noun · 4 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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  • /ˈæɹɪti/
  • /ˈeəɹɪti/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æɹɪti

1

noun

Meaning 1

The number of arguments or operands a function or operation takes. For a relation, the number of domains in the corresponding Cartesian product.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: computer, computing, engineering, human-sciences, logic, mathematics, natural-sciences, philosophy, physical-sciences, science, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The maximum number of child nodes that any node in a given tree (data structure) may have.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: computer, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, science, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the number of arguments (in Lojban grammar called sumti) specified in the definition of a selbri. (the selbri combined with the sumti make up a bridi).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Lojban, countable, uncountable

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the number of arguments that a function can take

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: number

History

Etymology

From -ary (taken from unary/binary/ternary [function/operator]) + -ity. Compare adicity and adinity.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 元数 (yuánshù) — number of arguments
  • Czech: arita — number of arguments
  • Czech: četnost — number of arguments
  • Danish: aritet — number of arguments
  • Dutch: ariteit — number of arguments
  • Dutch: plaatsigheid — number of arguments
  • Esperanto: loknombro — number of arguments
  • Esperanto: kapacito de operacio — number of arguments
  • Finnish: paikkaluku — number of arguments
  • Finnish: muuttujamäärä — number of arguments
  • Finnish: argumenttien lukumäärä — number of arguments
  • Finnish: argumenttimäärä — number of arguments
  • French: arité — number of arguments
  • German: Stelligkeit — number of arguments
  • Greek: βαθμός (vathmós) — number of arguments
  • Greek: τάξη (táxi) — number of arguments
  • Icelandic: stæðafjöldi — number of arguments
  • Ido: parametro -op — number of arguments
  • Irish: nárthacht — number of arguments
  • Norwegian Bokmål: aritet — number of arguments
  • Polish: argumentowość — number of arguments
  • Portuguese: aridade — number of arguments
  • Russian: а́рность (árnostʹ) — number of arguments
  • Russian: число́ опера́ндов (čisló operándov) — number of arguments
  • Russian: число́ аргуме́нтов (čisló arguméntov) — number of arguments
  • Serbo-Croatian: aritet — number of arguments
  • Serbo-Croatian: mjesnost — number of arguments
  • Spanish: aridad — number of arguments
  • Swedish: ställighet — number of arguments
  • Swedish: aritet — number of arguments
Real reading context

arity in complete knowledge articles