álgebra

See also: Appendix:Variations of "algebra"

Portuguese

Etymology

From Arabic الْجَبْر (al-jabr), through Latin algebra.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈaw.ʒe.bɾɐ/ [ˈaʊ̯.ʒe.bɾɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈaw.ʒe.bɾɐ/ [ˈaʊ̯.ʒe.bɾɐ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈaw.ʒe.bɾa/ [ˈaʊ̯.ʒe.bɾa]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈal.ʒɨ.bɾɐ/ [ˈaɫ.ʒɨ.βɾɐ]

• Rhymes: -awʒebɾɐ, -alʒɨbɾɐ
• Hyphenation: ál‧ge‧bra

Noun

álgebra f (plural álgebras)

1. algebra
   1. (mathematics) study of formal manipulations of equations, with the aim of solving certain problems (or the equations themselves)
   2. (mathematics) set of unary and binary operations related to each other by certain properties
   3. compendium of this discipline
2. (obsolete) art of restoring dislocated bones

Derived terms

• algébrico

Further reading

• “álgebra”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “álgebra”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

From Arabic الجبر (al-jabr, “reunion, resetting of broken parts”), used in the title of al-Khwarizmi’s influential work عِلْم اَلْجَبْر وَالْمُقَابَلَة (ʕilm al-jabr wālmuqābala, “the science of restoration and equating like with like”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈalxebɾa/ [ˈal.xe.β̞ɾa]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -alxebɾa
• Syllabification: ál‧ge‧bra

Noun

álgebra f (plural álgebras)

1. algebra

Usage notes

• Before feminine nouns beginning with stressed /ˈa/ like álgebra, the singular definite article takes the form of el (otherwise reserved for masculine nouns) instead of the usual la: el álgebra. This includes the contracted forms al and del (instead of a la and de la, respectively): al álgebra, del álgebra.

This also applies to the indefinite article, which takes the form of un, which is otherwise used with masculine nouns (although the standard feminine form una also occurs): un álgebra or una álgebra. The same is true with determiners algún/alguna and ningún/ninguna, as well as for numerals ending with 1 (e.g., veintiún/veintiuna).

However, if another word intervenes between the article and the noun, the usual feminine singular articles and determiners (la, una etc.) are used: la mejor álgebra, una buena álgebra.

• In these cases, el and un are not masculine but feminine, deriving from Latin illa and una, respectively, even though they are identical in form to the corresponding masculine singular articles. Thus, they are allomorphs of the feminine singular articles la and una.
• The use of these allomorphs does not change the gender agreement of the adjectives modifying the feminine noun: el álgebra única, un(a) álgebra buena.
• In the plural, the usual feminine plural articles and determiners (las, unas, etc.) are always used.

Derived terms

• álgebra abstracta
• álgebra lineal
• algebraico
• algebrista

Further reading

• “álgebra”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025