mathematician

noun

math·​e·​ma·​ti·​cian ˌmath-mə-ˈti-shən How to pronounce mathematician (audio)
ˌma-thə-
: a specialist or expert in mathematics

Examples of mathematician in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But in 1995, the applied mathematician Peter Shor discovered a clever way to store quantum information. Ben Brubaker, WIRED, 17 Mar. 2024 This is a joke written by the Soviet-American mathematician Tanya Khovanova, who lectures in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 In particular, mathematicians look at curves over finite fields — systems of cyclical arithmetic that are defined for each prime number. Lyndie Chiou, Quanta Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 Before that, mathematicians relied primarily on fractions and other complicated configurations. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 This question is central to numerous fields of mathematics, and mathematicians have a variety of tests to detect randomness. Christopher Lutsko, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2024 The latter, premiered by Coleman’s own Imani Winds in 2018, is a musical tribute to a quintet of Black women: Maya Angelou (whose book and poem inspired the piece), mathematician Katherine Johnson, tennis champion Serena Williams, Olympic boxer Claressa Shields and former first lady Michelle Obama. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024 This public display of what is happening under the hood allows other security experts, mathematicians and other inquiring minds to comment and confirm the legitimacy and strength of your security solution. Matthias Pfau, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Solving a Kirby problem gets young mathematicians noticed. Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mathematician.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mathematician was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near mathematician

Cite this Entry

“Mathematician.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mathematician. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mathematician

noun
math·​e·​ma·​ti·​cian ˌmath-(ə-)mə-ˈtish-ən How to pronounce mathematician (audio)
: a specialist or expert in mathematics

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