Roman Numerals
Roman numerals use seven letters - I, V, X, L, C, D and M - to write numbers. You still see them on clock faces, in book chapters, after the names of monarchs and popes, in film copyright dates and in the names of big sporting events.
This guide starts with the seven basic symbols, then explains the subtractive pairs (such as IV for 4 and IX for 9), how numerals combine, and how to read years like MCMLXXXIV. Each entry shows its value and how it is built.
27 entries in this category
Basic Symbols
7= 1. The basic unit, probably from a single tally mark.
"Queen Elizabeth I ruled England from 1558 to 1603."
= 5.
"Henry V won the Battle of Agincourt."
= 10.
"Chapter X is the last chapter."
= 50.
"Super Bowl L was played in 2016."
= 100. Linked to Latin centum, "hundred".
"C is where "century" gets its meaning."
= 500.
"DCC equals 700."
= 1,000. Linked to Latin mille, "thousand".
"M is for millennium."
Combining Numerals
8= 3 (1 + 1 + 1). A symbol can repeat up to three times in a row.
"Richard III is one of Shakespeare's history plays."
= 8 (5 + 3). Smaller numerals after a larger one are added.
"Henry VIII had six wives."
= 14 (10 + 4).
"Louis XIV was known as the Sun King."
= 19 (10 + 9).
"Chapter XIX follows chapter XVIII."
= 24 (10 + 10 + 4).
"Hour XXIV marks midnight on a 24-hour dial."
= 42 (40 + 2).
"Chapter XLII is near the end of the novel."
= 99 (90 + 9). Never IC - I may only be subtracted from V and X.
"Ninety-nine is XCIX, not IC."
= 444 (400 + 40 + 4).
"CDXLIV uses three subtractive pairs."
Subtractive Pairs
6= 4 (5 - 1). A smaller numeral before a larger one is subtracted.
"Clock faces often show IIII instead of IV - a long tradition."
= 9 (10 - 1).
"Pope Pius IX served for over 31 years."
= 40 (50 - 10).
"XL is also the clothing size "extra large" - a different meaning!"
= 90 (100 - 10).
"XC equals ninety."
= 400 (500 - 100).
"CD equals four hundred."
= 900 (1,000 - 100).
"CM appears in years like MCM (1900)."
Years & Large Numbers
6= 1984 (1000 + 900 + 50 + 30 + 4).
"Orwell's famous novel is set in MCMLXXXIV."
= 2000.
"The millennium year was MM."
= 2026 (2000 + 20 + 6).
"Film credits might read: Copyright MMXXVI."
= 1776 (1000 + 500 + 200 + 50 + 20 + 6).
"MDCCLXXVI is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty's tablet."
= 3,999 - the largest number written with standard numerals.
"Beyond MMMCMXCIX, Romans needed special notation."
A line drawn over a numeral multiplies it by 1,000 - so V with a bar = 5,000.
"An X with a bar above it means 10,000."