Reading and Writing Roman Numerals

Reading or using Roman numerals may seem unnecessary in the era of digital technology. However, knowing how to read and use Roman numerals in day-to-day life remains important. Just think of all the places where Roman numerals tend to pop up:

Movie credits (year of copyright)

Television shows (year of copyright)

Building plaques (usually in reference to the building's year of completion or dedication)

Elevators (sometimes in reference to floor numbers)

Clocks (time)

Media (bullet point demarcations, page numbers, and chapters)

The "Super Bowl" National Football League (NFL) games

....Just to name a few places where we find Roman numbers....

Roman Numerals

So, what are the Roman numeral characters? Here they are:

I = 1

V = 5

X = 10

L = 50

C = 100

D = 500

M = 1,000

With these 7 Roman numerals, you can create and read virtually any set of Roman numbers you will come across.

Take these examples:

"Copyright © MCMLXXVIII = Copyrighted in 1978

Wait---you're probably wondering how MCM equals "1900" and not "2100." As you may have noticed, placing a certain Roman numeral in front of another acts as a means of subtraction. Just as "IX" effectively states "10 (X) - 1 (I) = 9 (IX)," "MCM" = "1900" because the first "M" = 1,000, and the "C" subtracts "100" from the second "M." Note that "MM" = "2000," as in the year "2000."

® MCMXCIV = Registered in 1994

How did we get a "4" in there? While I = 1, II = 2, and III = 3, there actually is not such a thing as IIII = 4 in Roman numerals. Just like one "adds" certain characters to others to create numbers, like VIII = 8, "minusing" characters from one another creates new numbers.

Therefore, IV = 4, and "XC," as in the above example, = 90. Notice that placing the "X" (10) in front of the "C" (100) "reduces" "C" by "X."

Chapter XII = Chapter 12

Note that adding two "I"s to the X "increases" the X (10) by 2, thus creating the number "12."

Page LXIV = Page 64

Again, placing "X" after the "L" (50) makes "60." However, placing the "I" in front of the "V" indicates the number "4."

As you can see, knowing your Roman numerals really is not difficult. Reading Roman numerals simply requires memorization of the 7 different characters (I, V, X, L, C, D, and M). From there, simply "add" or "subtract" other characters as needed.