mathematical

adjective

math·​e·​mat·​i·​cal ˌmath-ˈma-ti-kəl How to pronounce mathematical (audio)
ˌma-thə-
variants or less commonly mathematic
ˌmath-ˈma-tik How to pronounce mathematical (audio)
ˌma-thə-
Synonyms of mathematicalnext
1
: of, relating to, or according with mathematics
2
a
: rigorously exact : precise
b
: certain
3
: possible but highly improbable
only a mathematical chance
mathematically
ˌmath-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce mathematical (audio)
ˌma-thə-
adverb

Synonyms of mathematical

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of mathematical in a Sentence

They recorded the changes with mathematical precision. The team has only a mathematical chance of making the play-offs.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
If the Republican brand is toxic enough to guarantee a mathematical ceiling, the only viable path to the governor’s mansion may require shedding the partisan skin entirely. — Dain Fitzgerald, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026 Coursera founder Daphne Koller shared her early fascination with programming and mathematical models, expressing hope that AI can be deployed ethically to create a better, more egalitarian world. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Attached was a mathematical formula, a counterexample to the decades-old problem. — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 29 July 2026 Mythos found the attack after an extensive literature review to understand the state of the art, and substantial mathematical reasoning and computational experiments. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mathematical

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mathematicalle, from Latin mathematicus, from Greek mathēmatikos, from mathēmat-, mathēma learning, mathematics, from manthanein to learn; probably akin to Goth mundon to pay attention

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mathematical was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing mathematical

Rhymes for mathematical

See All Rhymes for mathematical

Browse Nearby Words

math
mathematical
mathematical biology
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mathematical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mathematical. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

mathematical

adjective
math·​e·​mat·​i·​cal ˌmath-ə-ˈmat-i-kəl How to pronounce mathematical (audio)
math-ˈmat-
1
: of, relating to, or according with mathematics
2
: very exact
mathematical precision
mathematically
-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce mathematical (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on mathematical

Nglish: Translation of mathematical for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All