Cardinal Numbers – Meaning, Sets, Examples, Chart 1 to 100

Cardinal Numbers refer to the numbers that quantify or the how many of something. They are applied in counting objects, people or things. Examples include 1, 2, 3, 10, and 100. In contrast to ordinal numbers which indicate position or order, cardinal numbers emphasize amount. They are important in both mathematics and life in general. Learn cardinal numbers with meaning, examples, list 1–100, and cardinal number of a set. Understand how they differ from ordinal numbers in maths.

Shivam Singh1 Dec, 2025

Cardinal Numbers

Cardinal numbers are counting numbers that indicate quantity, such as how many of something there are. They are essential in mathematics and common speech, to describe quantities, do some calculations and define sets. We use cardinal numbers to communicate definite and measurable information whether it is counting apples in a basket or students in a classroom or steps in a staircase.

From early education to advanced studies, these numbers form the backbone of arithmetic and logical reasoning. Students can learn more about the meaning of cardinal numbers, their application in sets, examples, how they differ from ordinal numbers and more below.

Read more: Counting Numbers

Cardinal Numbers Meaning

Cardinal numbers are numbers that represent quantity. They answer the basic question: "How many?" Unlike ordinal numbers, which indicate position (first, second, third), cardinal numbers focus entirely on the count of items, without concern for their order.

A cardinal number is a numeric number that is used to represent the number of items there are in a group. It is the extent or the scale of a collection, and does not imply order or hierarchy.

Arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division cannot be carried out without cardinal numbers because they give the numerical values, which are used in these operations.

Cardinal Numbers of a Set

In mathematics, particularly in set theory, a cardinal number of a set refers to the total number of elements in that set. It represents the size or cardinality of the set.

Examples:

Set A = {2, 4, 6, 8}

Cardinal number: 4

Set B = {apple, banana, mango}

Cardinal number: 3

Set C = {}

Cardinal number: 0 (Empty set)

Cardinal Numbers Examples

Cardinal numbers tell us how many items or elements are in a group or set. They are used in arithmetic operations, set theory, and basic counting.

1. Arithmetic Examples

Cardinal numbers are used in all types of math calculations:

Addition:

Example: 4+3 = 7→ The total count is 7.
Meaning: 4 apples plus 3 apples make 7 apples.

Subtraction:

Example: 12 − 5 = 7 → 7 items remain.
Meaning: You had 12 pens and gave away 5. Now you have 7 pens left.

Multiplication:

Example: 5 × 6 = 30 → Total = 30
Meaning: 5 rows with 6 pencils in each row equals 30 pencils.

Division:

Example: 20 ÷ 4 = 5 → Each part gets 5 items.
Meaning: 20 chocolates divided among 4 kids = 5 chocolates each.

Read More: Consecutive Numbers

2. Set Theory Examples

In set theory, the number of items in a set is the cardinal number:

Set A = {2, 4, 6, 8}
→ Cardinal number = 4
Set B = {a, b, c, d, e}
→ Cardinal number = 5
Set C = ∅ (empty set)
→ Cardinal number = 0

Cardinal numbers help us measure how big a set is.

3. Number Systems and Quantitative Reasoning

Cardinal numbers are important for:

Counting objects (natural numbers)
Measuring amounts (e.g., 10 meters, 4 books)
Reading number data in charts and tables

Read More: Rounding Numbers

List of Cardinal Numbers from 1 to 100

Cardinal numbers from 1 to 100 are used frequently in counting, math operations, and data organization. Below is a comprehensive chart showing each number in numeral and word form:

List of Cardinal Numbers from 1 to 100
Number	Word	Number	Word
1	One	51	Fifty-one
2	Two	52	Fifty-two
3	Three	53	Fifty-three
4	Four	54	Fifty-four
5	Five	55	Fifty-five
6	Six	56	Fifty-six
7	Seven	57	Fifty-seven
8	Eight	58	Fifty-eight
9	Nine	59	Fifty-nine
10	Ten	60	Sixty
11	Eleven	61	Sixty-one
12	Twelve	62	Sixty-two
13	Thirteen	63	Sixty-three
14	Fourteen	64	Sixty-four
15	Fifteen	65	Sixty-five
16	Sixteen	66	Sixty-six
17	Seventeen	67	Sixty-seven
18	Eighteen	68	Sixty-eight
19	Nineteen	69	Sixty-nine
20	Twenty	70	Seventy
21	Twenty-one	71	Seventy-one
22	Twenty-two	72	Seventy-two
23	Twenty-three	73	Seventy-three
24	Twenty-four	74	Seventy-four
25	Twenty-five	75	Seventy-five
26	Twenty-six	76	Seventy-six
27	Twenty-seven	77	Seventy-seven
28	Twenty-eight	78	Seventy-eight
29	Twenty-nine	79	Seventy-nine
30	Thirty	80	Eighty
31	Thirty-one	81	Eighty-one
32	Thirty-two	82	Eighty-two
33	Thirty-three	83	Eighty-three
34	Thirty-four	84	Eighty-four
35	Thirty-five	85	Eighty-five
36	Thirty-six	86	Eighty-six
37	Thirty-seven	87	Eighty-seven
38	Thirty-eight	88	Eighty-eight
39	Thirty-nine	89	Eighty-nine
40	Forty	90	Ninety
41	Forty-one	91	Ninety-one
42	Forty-two	92	Ninety-two
43	Forty-three	93	Ninety-three
44	Forty-four	94	Ninety-four
45	Forty-five	95	Ninety-five
46	Forty-six	96	Ninety-six
47	Forty-seven	97	Ninety-seven
48	Forty-eight	98	Ninety-eight
49	Forty-nine	99	Ninety-nine
50	Fifty	100	One hundred

Read more: Numerator and Denominator

Cardinal Numbers vs Ordinal Numbers

In mathematics, cardinal numbers are used to count how many items there are, while ordinal numbers show the position or order of those items. Both are important for understanding quantity and sequence in math.

Cardinal Numbers vs Ordinal Numbers
Feature	Cardinal Numbers	Ordinal Numbers
Purpose	Show quantity	Show position or rank
Examples	1, 2, 3, 10, 100	1st, 2nd, 3rd, 10th, 100th
Usage in Math	Counting, arithmetic	Ordering, ranking
Role in Sets	Show number of elements	Not used
Grammar Function	Nouns	Adjectives
Example in Sentence	"There are 4 apples."	"She came 4th in the race."

Also Check, Before Number Concept

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Cardinal Numbers FAQ

What are cardinal numbers?

Counting numbers that indicate the number of items that belong to a group are called cardinal numbers. They are one, two, three, ten, etc.

What is the use of cardinal numbers in mathematics?

Those are applied to count objects, do arithmetic operations and size sets. As an example, they are used to indicate the quantity of items in a set theory.

Do we see zero and negative as cardinal?

In set theory, the cardinal number of a set is zero, as it is an empty set. Negative numbers are not cardinal numbers because you can not count negative things.