political arithmetic

1 definition found

political arithmetic - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Arithmetic \A*rith"me*tic\, n. [OE. arsmetike, OF. arismetique,
     L. arithmetica, fr. Gr. ? (sc. ?), fr. ? arithmetical, fr. ?
     to number, fr. ? number, prob. fr. same root as E. arm, the
     idea of counting coming from that of fitting, attaching. See
     Arm. The modern Eng. and French forms are accommodated to
     the Greek.]
     1. The science of numbers; the art of computation by figures.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A book containing the principles of this science.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Arithmetic of sines, trigonometry.
  
     Political arithmetic, the application of the science of
        numbers to problems in civil government, political
        economy, and social science.
  
     Universal arithmetic, the name given by Sir Isaac Newton to
        algebra.
        [1913 Webster]