as in math
the act or process of performing mathematical operations to find a value
I haven't actually done the arithmetic yet, but I suspect we're losing money on the deal
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Recent Examples of arithmetic
What sounds like bad arithmetic is correct politics.
—
Josef Joffe, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
No self-pity in those four words, no performance of stoicism either—just the clean arithmetic of a life lived at full speed.
—Outside, 10 Feb. 2026
With a sharp feel for political arithmetic and a slightly geeky approach to strategy, Hill-Lewis has cultivated constructive relationships with key figures in the ANC leadership, helped along by a personable, pragmatic style that plays well across party lines.
—Sam Mkokeli, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
This arithmetic explains why AI is being treated as a recession strategy rather than a moonshot.
—Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arithmetic
Josef Joffe, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
No self-pity in those four words, no performance of stoicism either—just the clean arithmetic of a life lived at full speed.
—Outside, 10 Feb. 2026
With a sharp feel for political arithmetic and a slightly geeky approach to strategy, Hill-Lewis has cultivated constructive relationships with key figures in the ANC leadership, helped along by a personable, pragmatic style that plays well across party lines.
—Sam Mkokeli, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
This arithmetic explains why AI is being treated as a recession strategy rather than a moonshot.
—Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arithmetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arithmetic
Noun
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Zevik Glidai, a 78-year-old math teacher and volunteer ambulance driver, discovered coils of the translucent fiber-optic cables surrounding a drone that crashed into his backyard in the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona on April 13.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
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Burton brought in a stethoscope, a scale, and a thermometer so that children could use the numbers for a math activity and demystify doctors’ visits.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And that's when their calculations revealed that these animals were probably gargantuan — well larger than the giant Pacific octopus, today's biggest member of the family whose arm span often exceeds 13 feet.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
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The team evaluated the size of the ancient octopuses using allometric calculation—a method that used the proportional growth rates of modern, long-bodied finned octopuses to extrapolate the size of their extinct relatives.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arithmetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arithmetic. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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