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
There was unusual arithmetic that needed to be considered.
—
Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 28 Dec. 2024
One is to vote in a change to the debt brake (difficult given parliamentary arithmetic — there is talk of doing it in this parliament), declare an emergency ‘event’ that merits high spending as was the case with Covid-19 and it will be argued that President Donald Trump has created a crisis.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
His pitch encountered initial resistance from potential members, given the arithmetic: Twenty percent higher costs for planting, while yielding 25 percent less coffee.
—Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Perhaps Franklin’s arithmetic wasn’t so bad after all.
—James Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for arithmetic
Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 28 Dec. 2024
One is to vote in a change to the debt brake (difficult given parliamentary arithmetic — there is talk of doing it in this parliament), declare an emergency ‘event’ that merits high spending as was the case with Covid-19 and it will be argued that President Donald Trump has created a crisis.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
His pitch encountered initial resistance from potential members, given the arithmetic: Twenty percent higher costs for planting, while yielding 25 percent less coffee.
—Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Perhaps Franklin’s arithmetic wasn’t so bad after all.
—James Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for arithmetic
Cite this Entry
“Arithmetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arithmetic. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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