numbers
A1Neutral (used across all registers, from informal to highly formal/technical).
Definition
Meaning
The plural form of 'number', primarily referring to mathematical symbols or quantities representing count or amount (e.g., 1, 2, 3).
A collection or set of numerical figures; statistics, data, or measurements; a group of people or items considered collectively (e.g., 'in numbers'); a musical or poetic rhythmical pattern; a grammatical category for singular/plural distinction.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a count noun, 'numbers' refers to individual numerals or a set of them. As a mass noun (often preceded by 'in'), it can refer to a large quantity or the concept of numerical advantage (e.g., 'strength in numbers'). It is frequently used metonymically to refer to statistical data or results.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. Minor variations exist in collocational frequency (e.g., 'numbers game' vs. 'numbers racket'). 'Numbers' for a musical selection is slightly more dated in BrE.
Connotations
Generally identical. In business, 'the numbers' universally refers to financial figures.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[verb] + numbers (e.g., calculate, analyse, inflate)numbers + [verb] (e.g., numbers suggest, numbers are rising)[preposition] + numbers (e.g., in terms of numbers, by the numbers)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “by the numbers (methodically)”
- “do a number on someone”
- “safety in numbers”
- “the numbers game”
- “crunch the numbers”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers specifically to financial data, sales figures, performance metrics, or headcount. E.g., 'Let's look at this quarter's numbers.'
Academic
Used for statistical data, quantitative results, population figures, or mathematical theory. E.g., 'The numbers support the hypothesis.'
Everyday
Refers to phone numbers, house numbers, prices, ages, or simple counts. E.g., 'I have their numbers in my phone.'
Technical
In computing: numerical values, identifiers; in linguistics: grammatical number; in music: movements or pieces in a show.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He numbers the pages by hand.
- The attendees numbered in the hundreds.
American English
- She numbers each item on the list.
- His collection numbers over a thousand stamps.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable.
American English
- Not applicable.
adjective
British English
- Not a standard adjective form; attributive use is via compound nouns: 'numbers game', 'numbers station'.
American English
- Not a standard adjective form; attributive use is via compound nouns: 'numbers guy', 'numbers crunching'.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My phone has many numbers.
- Children learn numbers at school.
- The numbers 5 and 10 are on the door.
- Large numbers of people attended the concert.
- Can you check the numbers on this invoice?
- I need to update the contact numbers in my diary.
- The latest numbers indicate a growth in sales.
- He argued his case persuasively, backing it up with solid numbers.
- Despite their superior numbers, the team lost the match.
- The demographic numbers are projected to shift dramatically over the next decade.
- Her analysis goes beyond the raw numbers to explore the underlying social trends.
- They won the election purely by the strength of their numbers in urban constituencies.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a NUMber of BeeRS on a shelf – you need to count them (NUMBERS).
Conceptual Metaphor
NUMBERS ARE OBJECTS (to manipulate/crunch); NUMBERS ARE PEOPLE (e.g., 'numbers are dwindling'); IMPORTANCE/TRUTH IS NUMBERS (e.g., 'the numbers don't lie').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'numbers' as 'номера' when referring to statistical data (use 'цифры', 'данные', 'статистика').
- The phrase 'in numbers' meaning 'in large quantity' does not have a direct word-for-word equivalent; use 'в большом количестве'.
- Be careful with 'phone number' which is 'номер телефона', but 'numbers' alone is not a direct equivalent for 'номер'.
Common Mistakes
- Using a singular verb with 'numbers' when referring to statistics (e.g., 'The numbers is high' -> 'The numbers are high').
- Confusing 'numbers' with 'amount' (use 'number'/'numbers' for countable things).
- Overusing 'numbers' as a direct translation for Russian 'номера' in all contexts.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'numbers' used to mean 'musical items in a performance'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is grammatically plural and takes a plural verb (e.g., 'The numbers are correct').
'Number' often refers to a single numeral, figure, or quantity. 'Numbers' refers to multiple numerals, a set of figures, or statistical data collectively.
Yes, informally. For example, 'He's good with numbers' means he is good at arithmetic or numerical reasoning.
It means doing something in a strict, methodical, and uninspired way, following all the prescribed steps or rules.