What is a negative number ? Definition and examples.

A negative number is any number less than zero. The following numbers are negative numbers.

Negative number


Unlike positive numbers, when a number is negative, you do not have a choice not to write the negative sign. You have to put the negative sign next to it!

There are many real-life situations that can be expressed with negative numbers. Here are some examples.

  • A withdrawal of 861 dollars can be expressed as -861
  • A loss of 10 yards by the football team can be expressed as -10
  • A deficit of 20,000 dollars can be expressed as -20000
  • 35 feet below sea level can be expressed as -35
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