Numerical

How to spell numerical

9 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce numerical

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does numerical mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to, expressed in, or arranged according to numbers.

Numerical in a sentence

• The files were stored in numerical order rather than alphabetically.

• The spreadsheet flagged any numerical value that fell outside the expected range.

Where does numerical come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word traces back to the Latin numerus, meaning 'number' or 'quantity', the same root that gives us 'numeral', 'numerous', and 'enumerate'. From numerus came the medieval Latin adjective numericus, used to describe anything relating to numbers. English adopted the term in the early 1600s, attaching the familiar English ending -ical to produce 'numerical', which slotted neatly alongside other learned adjectives of the period. The spelling keeps the Latin 'numer' stem intact, which is the helpful clue: it begins like 'number' minus the final letters, then closes with the standard '-ical'. The trickiest spot for writers is the unstressed middle vowel, written 'e' (num-ER-ical), and remembering the single 'm' rather than a doubled one.

How the word is built

• numer- (from Latin numerus: number)
• -ical (adjective suffix)