Algebraic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌæl.d͡ʒɪˈbɹeɪ.ɪk/

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the branch of mathematics focused on the representation and manipulation of numbers and variables through symbols and equations
2. Connected with the systematic rules and methods employed to solve equations and analyze relationships among variables and constants
3. Concerning the field of mathematics that studies symbols and rules for manipulating them to express and solve equations

Etymology: The adjective "algebraic" sits on top of "algebra," which came into English from medieval Latin, where it was borrowed from Arabic "al-jabr," meaning "the reunion of broken parts" or "restoration." That Arabic phrase is the surprise: it comes from a title in a book by al-Khwarizmi, written in Baghdad around 820, which gave the field its name. The Arabic word originally referred to setting a broken bone, and the mathematical sense grew out of the idea of restoring balance to an equation by moving terms across it. "Algebraic" itself is a plain English formation, built by adding the suffix "-ic," meaning "having the character of," to "algebra." It drew on the French "algébraïque" as well, so the word arrived in English through two routes that reinforced each other. Its meaning stayed close to the field it describes: something algebraic involves symbols and the rules for manipulating them, as opposed to purely geometric or arithmetic reasoning.

Synonyms: mathematical, calculative, numerical, equational, symbolic

Antonyms: non-mathematical, illogical, irrational