GENERAL NUMERACY

ADDITION

Finding the total, or sum, by combining two or more

numbers.

AMOUNT

A quantity, number of, total, sum, size or extent

ARRAY

Items (such as objects, numbers, etc.) arranged in rows and

columns.

ASCENDING ORDER

Arranged from smallest to largest. Increasing.

COLUMN

An arrangement of figures, one above the other.

COMPARING

Greater than (>), less than (<) or equal to (=)

COMPOSITE NUMBER

A whole number that can be divided evenly by numbers

other than 1 or itself. A number that is not a prime number.

DECREASE

To get smaller in size or number

DESCENDING ORDER

Arranged from largest to smallest. Decreasing.

DIFFERENCE

The answer to a subtraction problem.

DIGIT

Any of the numerals 0 through 9.

DIVIDE

To divide is to split into equal parts or groups.

DIVIDEND

The amount that you want to divide up.

DIVISIBLE

When one number can be divided by another and the

result is an exact whole number.

DIVISOR

The number you divide by.

DOUBLE

To make twice as much. Multiply by 2.

DOZEN

Twelve (12) items

EQUAL / EQUIVALENT

Exactly the same amount or value.

ESTIMATE

A close guess of the actual value, usually with some

thought or calculation involved.
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EVEN NUMBER

Any whole number that can be divided exactly by 2.

The last digit is 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8.

EXPANDED NOTATION Writing a number to show the value of each digit.

EXPANDED FORM
1000+900+80+7=1987 or 100x3 + 10x2 + 1 = 321
FACTORS

Numbers you multiply together to get another number.

GREATER THAN

Bigger or larger. The symbol > means greater than.

GROSS

144 (12 dozen)

HEIGHT

The distance from top to bottom.

INCREASE

To make something bigger in size or quantity.

MAXIMUM

The largest value.

MINIMUM

The smallest value

MINUS

To subtract

NEGATIVE NUMBER

A number less than zero on a number line. It is usually

written like this: -1, -2, -3 etc.

NOUGHT

Zero (0)

ODD NUMBER

Any whole number that cannot be divided exactly by

2. The last digit is 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9

OPERATION

A mathematical process. The most common are add,

subtract, multiply and divide (+, , , ).

ORDERING

Ranking numbers from least to greatest or greatest

to least.

ORDINAL NUMBER

A number that tells the position of something in a list. 1st,

2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th etc.

PLACE VALUE

The position of where the digit is in the number ones, tens,

hundreds, tenths, hundredths etc. Place value is expressed
in words.

POSITIVE NUMBER

A number greater than zero on a number line.

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PRODUCT

The answer when two or more numbers are multiplied

together.

QUOTIENT

The answer when you divide one number by another

number.

REMAINDER

The amount left over after division.

ROUNDING

A method of finding an estimate that is closest to a

given value, e.g. the nearest ten, hundred, tenth,
dollar etc.

ROW

Things lying side-by-side.

SCORE

Twenty (20)

SET

A number of things grouped together and forming a whole

collection. It is sometimes set apart using brackets. Set of
colours: { red, blue, yellow, green}

(To) SQUARE A NUMBER

To multiply a number by itself. Sometimes written like

this: 42 means 4x4.

SQUARE NUMBER

The answer when a number is multiplied by itself. 49 is a

square number because it is the answer to 7x7.

STANDARD FORM

The way numbers commonly look. 789, 1234, 9029

SUBTRACTION

The process of taking a number away from another number

to find out how much is left.

SUM

The answer to an addition problem.

TALLY MARKS

A way of keeping count by drawing marks. Every fifth mark is

drawn across the previous 4 marks, so you can easily see
groups of 5.

TOTAL

The result of adding.

TRIPLE / TREBLE

Three times as many.

UNEQUAL

Not equal. The symbol is

UNITS

How many ones. How many single items. Used to show the
"ones" place value .

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VALUE

How much something is worth. In 6743, the 7 is in the

hundreds place so 7x100=700. The value of the 7 is 700.
Value is expressed in digits.

WHOLE NUMBER

The numbers {0, 1, 2, 3, ...} etc. A whole number has no

fractional or decimal part.

WIDTH / BREADTH

The distance from side to side.

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