Meaning & use
like terms
In algebra, terms that contain the same variables raised to the same powers, so they can be combined by addition or subtraction.
See it in a sentence
In the expression 4x + 3y - x, the terms 4x and -x are like terms.
You must combine like terms before simplifying the equation further.
A note on using this word
Only like terms can be added or subtracted directly; unlike terms, such as x and x^2, cannot be combined this way.
Words with a similar meaning
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