Term (mathematics) facts for kids

A term in mathematics is a part of a mathematical expression. It can be a single number, a variable, or a mix of numbers and variables multiplied together. Terms are usually separated by plus (+) or minus (-) signs.

What is a Term in Math?

In basic mathematics, a term is like a building block of an expression. Imagine you have a math problem like:

3 + 4x + 5yzw

In this example, the terms are:

• 3 (a single number)
• 4x (a number multiplied by a variable)
• 5yzw (a number multiplied by several variables)

These three parts are separated by the plus signs.

Terms in Algebra

When you study algebra, you often work with expressions called polynomials. In polynomials, a term usually means a monomial with a coefficient. A monomial is a single term, and a coefficient is the number part of the term (like the '4' in 4x).

Combining Like Terms

Sometimes, you will see terms that are similar, like 3x and 5x. These are called like terms because they have the same variable part (in this case, x). You can combine like terms to make an expression simpler.

For example, let's look at this expression:

3x + 2x² + 5x + 1

To simplify it, we can combine the terms that have x:

2x² + (3+5)x + 1

2x² + 8x + 1

Now the expression is simpler, with the like terms collected together.

Terms in Other Expressions

The word "term" isn't just for parts separated by plus or minus signs. It can also refer to parts of other mathematical expressions.

Multiplicative Terms

When you have an expression that is a product (meaning things are multiplied together), each part being multiplied can be called a multiplicative term or a factor. For example, in the expression 2xy, the terms (or factors) are 2, x, and y.

Terms in a Sequence

In a sequence or a series, each individual number or item is also called a term. For example, in the sequence 2, 4, 6, 8, ...

• 2 is the first term
• 4 is the second term
• 6 is the third term, and so on.

Specific Names for Terms

Sometimes, terms in specific operations have their own names:

• Addend: A term in an addition problem. For example, in 3 + 5 = 8, both 3 and 5 are addends.
• Minuend and Subtrahend: In a subtraction problem like 10 - 4 = 6, 10 is the minuend (the number being subtracted from), and 4 is the subtrahend (the number being subtracted).

Related pages

• Like and unlike terms
• Formula