numerical

American  

[noo-mer-i-kuhl, nyoo-] / nuˈmɛr ɪ kəl, nyu- /

Also numeric

adjective

1. of or relating to numbers; of the nature of a number.

2. indicating a number.

   numerical symbols.

3. bearing or designated by a number.

4. expressed by numbers instead of letters.

   numerical cryptography; numerical equations.

5. of or relating to one's skill at working with numbers, solving mathematical problems, etc..

   tests for rating numerical aptitude.

6. Mathematics. absolute.

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numerical British  

/ njuːˈmɛrɪkəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or denoting a number or numbers

2. measured or expressed in numbers

   numerical value

3. maths

   1. containing or using constants, coefficients, terms, or elements represented by numbers Compare literal

      3x² + 4y = 2 is a numerical equation

   2. another word for absolute

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Other Word Forms

• numerically adverb
• numericalness noun
• unnumerical adjective

Etymology

Origin of numerical

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin numer(us) number + -ical

Explanation

Anything numerical is related to numbers or can be expressed in numbers. Your height is a numerical concept, but your love for your friends is not. You will learn many numerical concepts in math class: anything that has to do with numbers in any way can be referred to as numerical. Mathematicians deal with numerical issues, but poets do not — unless they're counting syllables, which is numerical because it involves numbers. Some people are better with numerical concepts than others — like accountants, statisticians, and math teachers.

Example Sentences

One way to describe an AI model is in terms of bits, which refers to the amount of code needed to render a numerical value in ones and zeros, the language of computing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

That’s 630,000 more, in numerical terms, the largest gap in records dating back to 2013 and up from 29.8% a year earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Professor Gareth Collins of Imperial College London attended the 2009 debate about the crater's origin and contributed the numerical simulations used in the new research.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026

And at GCSE, there was a proposal to move to the grading system used in England and Wales, where a numerical system from 9-1 is used where 9 is the highest grade.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

The Greek Gnostics noted that the Greek word for “Nile River” had a numerical value of 365, indicating the annual nature of its floods.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos