integer

noun

in·​te·​ger ˈin-ti-jər 

1

: any of the natural numbers, the negatives of these numbers, or zero

2

: a complete entity

Synonyms

• digit
• figure
• number
• numeral
• numeric
• whole number

Examples of integer in a Sentence

Both 10 and -10 are integers.

three is a positive integer

Recent Examples on the Web

An even integer plus an even integer always results in another even integer. —Leila Sloman, WIRED, 6 Oct. 2024

For any integer, the number of partitions satisfying each condition will always be equal. —Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024

For instance, factoring numbers up to 50 bits using hybrid quantum-classical algorithms represents progress over earlier efforts that were limited to smaller integers. —Craig S. Smith, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

The difficulty of factoring increases exponentially with the size of the number, meaning that the gap between 50-bit and 2048-bit integers is astronomically large. —Craig S. Smith, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, adjective, whole, entire — more at entire entry 1

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

integer

noun

in·​te·​ger ˈint-i-jər 

: a number that is a natural number (as 1, 2, or 3), the negative of a natural number, or 0

called also whole number