What is another word for math?
The word
math comes from a shortening of
mathematics. This is often what
math is formally called when it’s a school subject. In the U.K. and other places, it’s shortened to
maths. (See more about this in the next two sections.) The type of
math you learn early in school—
addition,
subtraction,
multiplication, and
division—is sometimes called
arithmetic. It all starts with basic
counting, but there are many branches of
math, including
algebra,
geometry, and
trigonometry, and
calculus. The word
calculus is also sometimes used in a general way to mean
calculation, and the word
math can also be used in this way. The word
math is also used in other general ways. If you say the
math doesn’t add up, it means something’s not right with the
numbers (
figures,
values,
totals,
tally, etc.).
What is math short for?
Math is short for mathematics.
Is it math or maths?
In the U.S. and Canada, the school subject is commonly called math. In the U.K. and some other places, it’s called maths. To people who use the word math, it may seem strange to put an s on the end, since it’s a single subject, but there are plenty of reasons why it makes sense: it’s short for mathematics, there are several different branches of mathematics, and other school subjects also end with s, such as physics.
What is another way to say do the math?
To
do the math is to do the
calculation,
computation, or
reckoning. This can be used in a literal way, meaning to literally calculate the sum or total. But it’s also often used in a figurative way meaning to figure something out based on the available information. The expression
add things up can mean the same thing.
