arithmetic
noun
The branch of mathematics that deals with numbers and the basic operations of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.
Example sentences
- “Simple arithmetic shows the bill can't be right.”
- “Children in first grade practice basic arithmetic with blocks and counters.”
The stress moves: the noun is a-RITH-me-tic, but the adjective, as in "arithmetic mean", is stressed arith-MET-ic.