Term (mathematics)

In elementary mathematics, a term is either a single number or variable, or the product of several numbers and/or variables. For example, in

3 + 4x + 5yzw

3, 4x, and 5yzw are all terms. This definition does not cover all usages in more advanced mathematics. Often term is used of a monomial with a coefficient: to 'collect like terms' in a polynomial is the basic operation of making it a linear combination of distinct monomials.

See also

• divisor, meaning, expression, arithmetics.