Added 9 October 2026
numeracy
/ˈnjuːməɹəsi/ noun
Latin root: numerus Coined: 1959, by UK Committee Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about numeracy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Numerical skill.
John Allen Paulos and others have asked our society to consider numeracy and innumeracy in a way closer to how we view literacy and illiteracy.
-
Competence with mathematics and with how to apply it to practical applications; sufficient ability to think critically in a quantitative way.
John Allen Paulos and others have asked our society to consider numeracy and innumeracy in a way closer to how we view literacy and illiteracy.
-
Ability to manipulate numbers at all, even for the simplest of arithmetic, such as adding two and two.
The man lost all numeracy when he had a stroke, so he now depended on his wife for even the simplest financial matters, such as making change or paying a cashier.
Origin
From numerate + -cy, from Latin numerus; coined with numerate in 1959 by the UK Committee on Education, presided over by Sir Geoffrey Crowther.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)