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Mathematics vocabulary · Numbers and Operations

Integer

Meaning in mathematics, with examples

/ˈɪntɪdʒər/nounCore term

In mathematics, integer means: A whole number that can be positive, negative or zero, such as −3, 0 or 25, with no fractional or decimal part.

In Turkish: tam sayı

How it is used

Common in number theory, algebra and exam questions: 'n is a positive integer', 'find all integer solutions'. The set of integers is written ℤ. Schools also say 'whole number', but that sometimes means only 0, 1, 2, 3…, so 'integer' is more precise.

Example sentences

  1. Let n be a positive integer greater than 1.

  2. The answer must be an integer, because you can't hire half a bus.

Common collocations

  • positive integer
  • negative integer
  • integer solution
  • consecutive integers
  • negative numberA number less than zero, written with a minus sign in front of it, such as −4 or −0.5.
  • prime numberA whole number greater than 1 whose only factors are 1 and itself, such as 2, 3, 5, 7 and 11.
  • consecutiveFollowing one after another in order with no gaps; 7, 8 and 9 are consecutive integers, and 4, 6 and 8 are consecutive even numbers.
  • setA well-defined collection of distinct objects, called elements, usually written inside curly brackets, such as {2, 4, 6}.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Numbers and Operations

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