The ancient Romans, engaged in extensive trade and empire-building across the Mediterranean world, developed a numerical system that would endure for over two millennia. Beginning in the early days of the Roman Republic, this system of representing numbers through letters became fundamental to record-keeping, architecture, and daily commerce. Despite the widespread adoption of Arabic numerals, Roman numerals continue to hold a special place in modern society. Use our Roman numerals converter to easily translate between systems.
Today, Roman numerals serve several specialized purposes that lend formality and distinction:
The influence of Roman numerals extends into our everyday language through Latin roots. Words like "unilateral" (one-sided), "binary" (two-part), "trilogy" (three works), "quadrant" (four parts), "decimal" (ten-based), and "millennium" (thousand years) all derive from Roman numerical concepts.
Roman numerals differ fundamentally from the Arabic numerals (0-9) we use in modern mathematics. Two critical distinctions define the system:
Roman numerals use seven letters from the Latin alphabet, each representing a fixed value:
| Symbol | Value | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| I | 1 | One tally mark. Multiple I's add up: II = 2, III = 3. Four I's in a row are avoided. |
| V | 5 | Represents five. IV means 4 (5-1), VI means 6 (5+1), VII = 7, VIII = 8. |
| X | 10 | Ten. IX = 9 (10-1), XI = 11 (10+1). Multiple X's indicate tens: XX = 20, XXX = 30. |
| L | 50 | Fifty. XL = 40 (50-10), LX = 60 (50+10), LXXX = 80. |
| C | 100 | From Latin "centum" (hundred). XC = 90 (100-10), CC = 200, CCC = 300. |
| D | 500 | Five hundred. CD = 400 (500-100), DC = 600, DCC = 700. |
| M | 1,000 | From Latin "mille" (thousand). MM = 2000, MMM = 3000. Frequently seen in dates. |
When a smaller value appears before a larger value, subtract the smaller from the larger:
The Roman numeral system becomes cumbersome with very large numbers. Historically, Romans indicated larger numbers by placing a horizontal line (vinculum) above numerals, multiplying the value by 1,000. For example, V̅ would represent 5,000, and X̅ would mean 10,000. However, this notation is rarely used today, as Roman numerals are primarily employed for dates and other numbers under 4,000.
This limitation—along with the absence of zero and place-value notation—explains why Arabic numerals eventually replaced Roman numerals for mathematics, science, and commerce. Yet the elegance and historical significance of Roman numerals ensure they remain part of our cultural heritage.
Looking for specific numbers? Here are some commonly searched conversions:
Browse our comprehensive charts and tables of Roman numerals organized by range. These resources are perfect for students, educators, and anyone learning the Roman numeral system:
Need to convert a specific number to Roman numerals? Here are our most frequently searched conversions. Each page provides detailed information about how that particular number is written and used in the Roman numeral system: