noun
mathematics
The study of numbers, quantities, shapes, patterns, and their relationships.
We use mathematics to study patterns and solve everyday problems.
Etymology
The Greek ancestor means relating to learning or study. Its use narrowed to the systematic study of numbers, quantities, forms, and their relationships.
More examples
- Her favorite subject is mathematics.
- In mathematics, a proof explains why a statement is true.
- Architecture draws on mathematics to calculate angles and proportions.
Forms
mathematics
mathematical adjective — Relating to mathematics or its methods.
mathematician noun — A person who studies or practices mathematics.
Similar words
- math
- An informal American term for the same field.
- arithmetic
- Specifically concerns numbers and basic calculations, not the entire field.