innumeracy

English

Etymology

From in- +‎ numeracy; coined by Douglas Hofstadter and popularized by mathematician John Allen Paulos in his 1989 book Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and its Consequences.

Noun

innumeracy (countable and uncountable, plural innumeracies)

1. An ignorance of mathematics, or an inability to manipulate numbers

   John Allen Paulos and others have asked our society to consider numeracy and innumeracy in a way closer to how we view literacy and illiteracy.

   The man suffered from innumeracy stemming from a brain injury, and depended on his wife for all financial matters, no matter how trivial.

Antonyms

• numeracy

Coordinate terms

• dyscalculia
• illiteracy