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Definitions

math

[math] / mæθ /
ADJECTIVE
mathematical
Synonyms
STRONGEST
analytical numerical scientific
WEAK
algebraic algorithmic arithmetical computative geometrical measurable trigonometric
NOUN
mathematics
Synonyms
STRONGEST
algebra calculation calculus geometry
STRONG
addition division figures multiplication numbers subtraction trigonometry
Antonyms
STRONG
decrease reduction subtraction

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for math?
The word math comes from a shortening of mathematics. This is often what math is formally called when it’s a school subject. In the U.K. and other places, it’s shortened to maths. (See more about this in the next two sections.) The type of math you learn early in school—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division—is sometimes called arithmetic. It all starts with basic counting, but there are many branches of math, including algebra, geometry, and trigonometry, and calculus. The word calculus is also sometimes used in a general way to mean calculation, and the word math can also be used in this way. The word math is also used in other general ways. If you say the math doesn’t add up, it means something’s not right with the numbers (figures, values, totals, tally, etc.).
What is math short for?
Math is short for mathematics.
Is it math or maths?
In the U.S. and Canada, the school subject is commonly called math. In the U.K. and some other places, it’s called maths. To people who use the word math, it may seem strange to put an s on the end, since it’s a single subject, but there are plenty of reasons why it makes sense: it’s short for mathematics, there are several different branches of mathematics, and other school subjects also end with s, such as physics.
What is another way to say do the math?
To do the math is to do the calculation, computation, or reckoning. This can be used in a literal way, meaning to literally calculate the sum or total. But it’s also often used in a figurative way meaning to figure something out based on the available information. The expression add things up can mean the same thing.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But over time, its fiscal math will stop working.

From Barron's

Now determining whether I can afford something has shifted from a guess every time I click “buy” to a math equation I actually know how to solve.

From MarketWatch

The math of compound interest means that reliably earning just a few extra percentage points on retained cash makes a big difference over the years.

From The Wall Street Journal

Max paused and studied the sky, like you looked to the classroom ceiling for hope during a math pop quiz.

From Literature

In the 1980s and 1990s, the gripe was “stick to reading, writing and ‘rithmetic,” which implies hostility toward expanding those lessons to more complex ideas like literary analysis, critical thinking, and higher math and sciences.

From Salon

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.