arithmeticnoun [ U ]
uk/əˈrɪθ.mə.tɪk/us/əˈrɪθ.mə.tɪk/the part of mathematics that involves the adding and multiplying, etc. of numbers:
I've never been very good at arithmetic.
an arithmetic test
calculations involving adding and multiplying, etc. numbers:
I did some quick mental arithmetic and decided it was going to cost too much.
I can't figure out which of these is cheaper - could you do the arithmetic?
More examples
- What does all that add up to? I'm afraid my mental arithmetic isn't very good.
- These kids have had seven years in school and they can't even do some simple arithmetic!
- She was taught reading, writing and arithmetic at the village school.
- He tried to do his tax form but he couldn't work out all the arithmetic.
- I couldn't work in a post office - there is too much arithmetic involved!
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Branches & types of mathematics
- algebra
- calculus
- Cartesian
- differential calculus
- Euclidean
- geometric
- geometry
- mathematical
- mathematician
- mathematics
- maths
- mental arithmetic
- non-Euclidean
- number theory
- trig
- trigonometry
arithmetical
adjective uk/ˌær.ɪθˈmet.ɪ.kəl/us/ˌer.ɪθˈmet̬.ɪ.kəl/also arithmetic, uk/ˌær.ɪθˈmet.ɪk/us
arithmetical problems
arithmetically
adverb uk/ˌær.ɪθˈmet.ɪ.kəl.i/us/ˌer.ɪθˈmet̬.ɪ.kəl.i/