The Complete Mathematical Terms Dictionary
Understanding math concepts is critical in our world today. Math is used daily by nearly everyone, from lay persons to highly degreed professionals. Situations in which math is used vary from simply balancing a checkbook or calculating the amount of change due from a store transaction all the way to making blueprints for an office building or house and the construction of those buildings. Understanding how to solve math problems becomes easier as one learns math terminology. Below is a list of many common math terms and their definitions.
Acute angle – An angle which measures below 90°.
Acute triangle – A triangle containing only acute angles.
Additive inverse – The opposite of a number or its negative. A number plus its additive inverse equals 0.
Adjacent angles – Angles with a common side and vertex.
Angle – Created by two rays and containing an endpoint in common.
Arc – A set of points that lie on a circle and that are positioned within a central angle.
Area – The space contained within a shape.
Average – The numerical result of dividing the sum of two or more quantities by the number of quantities.
Binomial – An expression in algebra that consists of two terms.
Bisect – To divide into two equal sections.
Canceling – In multiplication of fractions, when one number is divided into both a numerator and a denominator.
Cartesian coordinates – Ordered number pairs that are assigned to points on a plane.
Chord – A line segment that connects two points on a circle.
Circle – A set of points that are all the same distance from a given point.
Circumference – The distance measured around a circle.
Coefficient – A number that is placed in front of a variable. For example, in 6x, 6 is the coefficient.
Common denominator – A number that can be divided evenly by all denominators in the problem.
Complementary angles – Two angles in which the sum of their measurements equals 90°.
Complex fraction – A fraction