Numeration

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌn(j)uː.məˈɹeɪ.ʃən/

Definitions

1. The act or process of assigning numbers to elements in a set or sequence, usually to indicate order or quantity
2. Refers to the systematic counting and numbering of items to organize or quantify them
3. Denotes the method of enumerating items by giving each a unique number or count to distinguish them

Etymology: Latin "numerare" meant "to count," and from it came "numerātiō," the act of counting or numbering. English took this over through Middle English as "numeracioun," so the modern noun is a form that has been carried across centuries with its sense intact: the plain business of counting things and assigning them numbers. The word has been used in that sense for a long time, which makes it one of those terms where the original meaning and the present one hardly differ. The surprise lies in its relationship to "numerate." The noun was formed by adding the suffix "-ion" to the verb-derived stem "numerate," which sits alongside it in English. That pairing is what a reader would expect, but the two words have followed different paths: "numeracy" in modern usage has largely taken over the sense of basic mathematical ability, while "numeration" has kept to its older meaning of counting and numbering.

Synonyms: counting, enumeration, listing, tallying, reckoning

Antonyms: declassification, disorganization, disorder, chaos, confusion