Okuzeka
Mathematics vocabulary · Numbers and Operations

Sum

Meaning in mathematics, with examples

/sʌm/nounCore term

In mathematics, sum means: The result you get when you add two or more numbers together; for example, the sum of 4 and 6 is 10.

In Turkish: toplam

How it is used

Very common in textbooks and word problems: 'find the sum of', 'the sum of the angles', 'the sum of a series'. In everyday British English, 'sums' also means simple arithmetic exercises, as in 'doing sums'.

Example sentences

  1. The sum of the interior angles of a triangle is 180 degrees.

  2. Find two consecutive numbers whose sum is 41.

Common collocations

  • the sum of
  • find the sum
  • partial sum
  • sum of a series
  • differenceThe result of subtracting one number from another; for example, the difference between 10 and 4 is 6.
  • productThe result you get when you multiply numbers or expressions together; for example, the product of 3 and 5 is 15.
  • quotientThe result of dividing one number by another; for example, when 20 is divided by 4, the quotient is 5.
  • 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.

More terms: Numbers and Operations

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: