arithmetic

arithmetic — noun

1. the area of mathematics in which you work with whole numbers using the four basi

1.nounB2
Definition

the area of mathematics in which you work with whole numbers using the four basic operations: adding, taking away, multiplying, and dividing.

Example

Mr. Lin teaches arithmetic to first-grade students every Tuesday morning.

school subject context: teach arithmetic

Before learning algebra, children spend several years on basic arithmetic.

uncountable: no article needed

Common collocations
  • mental arithmetic
  • basic arithmetic
  • simple arithmetic
  • teach arithmetic
Synonyms
  • mathematics

    broader; includes algebra, geometry, and more

  • math

    informal American shortening of mathematics

  • maths

    informal British shortening of mathematics

Grammar Patterns

uncountable noun

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names the school subject or branch of math itself; sense 2 names the act of calculating.

Common Mistakes

I did three arithmetics today.
I did three arithmetic problems today.
arithmetic is uncountable; use 'arithmetic problems' or 'sums' for countable instances.

2. the act of working out an answer with numbers — for example, adding up a bill or

2.nounB2
Definition

the act of working out an answer with numbers — for example, adding up a bill or checking that two columns of figures match.

Example

A quick bit of arithmetic showed Rohan the trip would cost over 8000 dollars.

result of calculation reveals a fact

The waiter's arithmetic was wrong, so we paid five dollars too much.

possessive: someone's arithmetic = their calculation

Common collocations
  • do the arithmetic
  • quick arithmetic
  • mental arithmetic
  • bad at arithmetic
Synonyms
  • calculation

    more formal; often used in technical or financial contexts

  • sums

    informal British; usually plural

  • computation

    formal; suggests longer or more complex working

Grammar Patterns

uncountable noun

Usage Note

Often appears with 'do', 'a bit of', or possessives ('your arithmetic'). Distinguish from sense 1: here arithmetic refers to the calculation itself, not the school subject.

Common Mistakes

Let me make the arithmetic.
Let me do the arithmetic.
the verb is 'do', not 'make'.

Word family

  • arithmetical
    adjectiveC1
  • arithmetically
    adverbC2
  • arithmetician
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Arithmetic, mathematics, algebra, and calculation are often confused by learners. Mathematics (or its informal forms math/maths) is the umbrella term — it covers everything from counting to advanced theory. Arithmetic is the most basic branch inside mathematics: it focuses on whole numbers and the four operations of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. Algebra is a more advanced branch that uses letters such as x and y to stand for unknown numbers, so equations like 2x + 3 = 11 are algebra, not arithmetic. Calculation, by contrast, is not a branch of math at all but the activity of working out an answer with numbers. So you can do a calculation using arithmetic, study algebra inside mathematics, and say a child is good at arithmetic but still finds algebra difficult.

arithmetic ↗mathematics ↗algebra ↗calculation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • arithmetic problem
  • arithmetic textbook
  • arithmetic skills

Phrases

  • mental arithmetic
  • basic arithmetic
  • simple arithmetic
  • do the arithmetic

Prepositions

  • good at arithmetic
  • bad at arithmetic

Etymology

Ancient GreekLatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Arithmetic traces back to the Ancient Greek word arithmētikḗ, formed from arithmós meaning 'number'. It moved into Latin as arithmetica, then into Old French as arismetique, before settling into Middle English in the 1300s. Its meaning has stayed remarkably stable for over six hundred years: the study and practice of working with numbers.