# arithmetic

> English word · Noun · IPA /əˈɹɪθmətɪk/ · frequency rank #17,075

## Definitions
1. The mathematics of numbers (integers, rational numbers, real numbers, or complex numbers) under the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
2. Number theory

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂er-
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti
Proto-Indo-European *h₂reh₁-
Proto-Indo-European *-éyti
Proto-Indo-European *h₂rey-der.
Ancient Greek ᾰ̓ρῐθμός (ărĭthmós)
Proto-Indo-European *-eti
Proto-Indo-European *-eyéti
Proto-Indo-European *-esyéti
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti
Ancient Greek -έω (-éō)
Ancient Greek ἀριθμέω (arithméō)
Proto-Indo-European *-tis
Ancient Greek -τις (-tis)
Ancient Greek -σις (-sis)
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Ancient Greek -κός (-kós)
?
Proto-Indo-European *-tós
Ancient Greek -τος (-tos)
▲
Ancient Greek -κός (-kós)
?
Ancient Greek -τικός (-tikós)
Ancient Greek ἀριθμητῐκός (arithmētĭkós)
Ancient Greek ἀριθμητῐκή (arithmētĭkḗ)bor.
Latin arithmēticabor.
▲
Ancient Greek ἀριθμητῐκός (arithmētĭkós)bor.
Latin arithmēticusbor.
Old French arismetiquebor.
Middle English arsmetike
English arithmetic
From Middle English arsmetike, from Old French arismetique, from Latin arithmētica, from Ancient Greek ἀριθμητική (τέχνη) (arithmētikḗ (tékhnē), “(art of) counting”), feminine of ἀριθμητικός (arithmētikós, “arithmetical”), from ἀριθμός (arithmós, “number, counting”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ri-dʰh₁-mó-s, form of *h₂rey- (“to count, reason”). Used in English since 13th century.

## Common misspellings (15)
`airthmetic`, `arihtmetic`, `arithemtic`, `arithhmetic`, `arithmeitc`, `arithmetci`, `arithmeticc`, `arithmettic`, `arithmmetic`, `arithmteic`, `aritmhetic`, `aritthmetic`, `arrithmetic`, `artihmetic`, `raithmetic`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/arithmetic