Numerology
/ˌnjuː.məˈrɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
The study or belief that numbers have mystical, symbolic, or divinatory significance.
Did you know?The word is a modern occult formation built from Latin numerus plus Greek -logia, so its very name means a “study of numbers,” even though the mystical practice itself is much older than the word.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
numerus
“a number; a count; a quantity”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-logia
“study, discourse, systematic account”
Late 19th Century
English
numerology
“a system of interpreting numbers as having occult or symbolic significance”
Modern English
English
numerology
“the occult interpretation of numbers and their supposed influence on events and personality”