whole number

[ hohl nuhm-ber ]

noun

, Mathematics.

1. Also called counting number. one of the positive integers or zero; any of the numbers (0, 1, 2, 3, …).
2. (loosely) integer ( def 1 ).

whole number

noun

1. an integer
2. a natural number

whole number

1. A member of the set of positive integers and zero.
2. A positive integer.
3. An integer.

Word History and Origins

Origin of whole number¹

First recorded in 1550–60

Example Sentences

The latest national polling averages for the two candidates are shown below, rounded to the nearest whole number.

From BBC

In response to a question about whether post-mortem examinations have been carried out, Mr Cammarano said: "There are a whole number of preliminary stages to go through before the autopsies."

From BBC

Astronomical-difficulty scores, which are combined on each event with an execution score out of 10, allow Biles to win competitions by whole numbers as most of her peers fight for half-tenths.

From Los Angeles Times

The 14th Amendment requires that congressional seats be distributed among the states “according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State.”

From Seattle Times

The moment magnitude scale is logarithmic — that is, each whole number of magnitude represents about a 30-fold increase in energy released.

From New York Times

Related Words

• figure
• statistic
• sum
• total