Numerology

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌnjuːməˈɹɒləd͡ʒi/

Definitions

1. The study of the mystical significance of numbers includes their symbolic meanings and is often used to predict events or analyze personality traits
2. A belief system that attributes esoteric meanings to numerical values, examining their influence in life events and individual characteristics
3. An analytical approach that interprets the spiritual significance of numbers, linking them to personal insights and the unfolding of one's destiny

Etymology: Numerology is built from "numero-", the combining form of the Latin "numerus" meaning "number", and "-logy", from Greek "-logia", meaning "study of" or "discourse about". Put together, the name simply means the study of numbers, which is a far plainer idea than the mystical practice it now names. The mystical sense comes from a long tradition in which numbers were thought to hold hidden meanings. Ancient Greek thinkers such as the followers of Pythagoras treated numbers as keys to the structure of the cosmos, and later writers assigned symbolic qualities to each digit and to the letters of names. The modern practice of reading personality traits or predicting events from a person's name and birth date grew out of this older belief that numbers carry meaning beyond counting. The word itself is a modern coinage that describes this tradition. Its literal meaning, "the study of numbers," is still visible in its parts, even though its everyday use refers to the symbolic and predictive practice.