ENGLISH
REFERENCE

algebra

n.
US //ˈæɫdʒəbɹə// UK //ˈældʒɪbɹɐ// al·ge·bra
  1. 1 elementary mathematics (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Math

    a type of math where you use letters like 'x' or 'y' to represent unknown numbers.

    the branch of mathematics that uses letters and symbols to represent numbers and quantities in formulae and equations.

    Example

    In our algebra class today, we learned how to solve for x in a simple equation.

    Example

    Elementary algebra provides the foundational tools necessary for students to transition from concrete arithmetic to abstract mathematical reasoning.
  2. 2 abstract mathematical structure (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Academic Math

    a more advanced area of math that studies complex structures and how they relate to each other.

    a specific type of algebraic structure, such as a vector space or a ring, often studied in abstract algebra.

    Example

    The professor explained how a Boolean algebra can be used in computer logic.

    Example

    Linear algebra is essential for modern data science, as it allows for the efficient manipulation of large multidimensional datasets through matrix operations.
    • algebraic structure
  3. 3 bone setting (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Technical Medicine

    an old word for fixing broken or moved bones.

    the surgical treatment of a dislocated or fractured bone; a historical sense reflecting the word's Arabic roots.

    Example

    The old medical book described the algebra of the shoulder after a fall.

    Example

    The etymology of the term reveals that 'algebra' once referred to the physical restoration of broken limbs before it became a mathematical descriptor.

    Usage

    This sense is no longer used in modern medical practice.
Origin

Etymology tree Arabic جَبَرَ (jabara) Arabic الْجَبْر (al-jabr)bor. Medieval Latin algebrabor. English algebra Borrowed from Medieval Latin algebra, from the Arabic الْجَبْر (al-jabr, “reunion, resetting of broken parts”) in the title of al-Khwarizmi's influential work الْكِتَاب الْمُخْتَصَر فِي حِسَاب الْجَبْر وَالْمُقَابَلَة (al-kitāb al-muḵtaṣar fī ḥisāb al-jabr wa-l-muqābala, “The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Related words

Last updated June 20, 2026