[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/numeral.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / numeral

[← N](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/N/)

# numeral

«numeral» in Mova's school dictionary: **a symbol or group of symbols that stands for a number…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a numeral, numerals)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A numeral is a symbol or group of symbols that stands for a number, like 7 or VII. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/numeral/#m1)

2) (grammar) A numeral is a word for a number, like «seven» or «seventh». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/numeral/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In maths lessons numerals are how we write numbers: we use Hindu-Arabic numerals (0–9), and pupils also learn Roman numerals (I, V, X, L, C, D, M) seen on clocks, in book chapters and after kings' names (Henry VIII). Phrases: «Roman numerals», «Arabic numerals», «write in numerals» (use digits, not words).

### examples

- Write the number in numerals, not words. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/numeral/#x1)
- The clock face has Roman numerals. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/numeral/#x2)
- XIV is the Roman numeral for fourteen. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/numeral/#x3)
- Our numerals 0 to 9 came to Europe from India through Arab mathematicians. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/numeral/#x4)
- The Romans had no numeral for zero. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/numeral/#x5)
- Henry VIII uses the Roman numeral for eight. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/numeral/#x6)
- «12» is a numeral, «twelve» is a word. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/numeral/#x7)
- I have changed the Indian mercantile numerals into those of English "back-slang," which make a very good parallel. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/numeral/#x8)

### note

Plural «numerals». A numeral is the written symbol; a number is the amount or value itself; a digit is one single symbol from 0 to 9. So «25» is a numeral made of two digits. Roman numerals: I=1, V=5, X=10, L=50, C=100, D=500, M=1000; a smaller one before a bigger one is taken away (IV=4, IX=9).

### In the corpora

- [The numbers 0 to 9 that we call Arabic numerals were first developed in India and reached Europe through Arabic books.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/history/22-the-islamic-golden-age-and-the-wider-medieval-world/10/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «numeral» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/numeral/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.
