prime number

noun

: any integer other than 0 or ± 1 that is not divisible without remainder by any other integers except ± 1 and ± the integer itself

Examples of prime number in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Everyone is obsessed with those dang prime numbers. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2025 Ed goes to the Cambridge library to find past studies on prime numbers, but all of them have been suspiciously scrubbed from the campus’ database. Rebecca Iannucci, TVLine, 22 Jan. 2025 Ben Green, a mathematician at the University of Oxford, is fascinated by the mysterious patterns that characterize the prime numbers. Joseph Howlett, WIRED, 19 Jan. 2025 In the trailer for the conspiracy thriller released Monday, Woodall stars as an intelligent math postgraduate Edward Brook, who discovers a breakthrough in possibly finding a pattern in prime numbers. Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for prime number 

Word History

Etymology

translation of Late Latin prīmus numerus, translation of Greek prôtos arithmós

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prime number was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near prime number

Cite this Entry

“Prime number.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prime%20number. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

prime number

noun
: a whole number other than 0 or ±1 that is not divisible without a remainder by any other whole numbers except ±1 and ± itself

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