Last updated on May 26th, 2025
Roman numerals are a way of expressing numbers using symbols. I, V, X, L, C, D, and M are the symbols we use. Roman Numerals are used in royal titles, book names, sequences, and so on. Here we will be discussing Roman Numerals, rules, and examples.
The royal titles, such as Henry I, Henry II, and so on, use Roman Numerals. Have you noticed the names and wondered what these symbols (I and II) represented?
Those are the Roman Numerals. Earlier, people used to count using fingers, sticks, bones, etc. When life became complex, a standard form was required to count. Ancient Romans used the Roman Numeral system to count. I (1), V (5), X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500), and M (1000) are the symbols we use to count.
In Roman Numerals, we use DCCCLX to represent 860, where D is 500, CCC is 300, and LX is 60. Let’s learn more about Roman numerals and how we write them.
There are certain basic rules to write a number in Roman Numerals. In this section, let’s discuss some basic rules that need to be remembered when writing a number in Roman numerals.
The addition method is used when the smaller number is placed after the larger number.
For example, DCCCLX → D + CCC + L + X → 500 + 300 + 50 + 10 = 860.
To write a large number, there are certain Roman Numerals that can be repeated up to three times.
For example, CCC → 300.
If a small number is followed by a large number in Roman Numerals, we subtract the smaller number from the large number. For example, IX → X - I → 10 - 1 = 9.
The symbols cannot be repeated more than three times, and some symbols like V, L, and D cannot be repeated. For example, we won't write DDD for 1500; instead, we use MD.
Let’s now learn how to write 860 in Roman Numerals. Follow these methods to write the number in Roman Numerals.
In the expansion method, based on the place value, the number is broken down. In this section, we will learn how to write 860 in Roman numerals using the expansion method.
To write 860 in Roman Numerals, follow the steps,
Step 1: Break the number based on the place value: hundreds, tens, ones, etc.
For 860, we write it as 800 + 60.
Step 2: Converting the numbers into Roman Numerals
800 in Roman Numeral — DCCC
60 in Roman Numeral — LX
Step 3: Combining the Roman Numerals together.
Therefore, 860 in Roman Numeral is DCCC(800) + LX(60) = DCCCLX.
When writing a large number into Roman Numerals, we group the number.
To write 860 in Roman Numerals, we group 860 as 800 + 60.
800 in Roman Numeral — DCCC
60 in Roman Numeral — LX
So, 860 is written as DCCCLX in Roman Numerals.
Students make mistakes when writing numbers in Roman Numerals. To master Roman Numerals, we can learn a few common mistakes and the ways to avoid them.
If a historian finds DCCCXL ancient coins and wants to distribute them equally into VIII bags, how many coins will each bag contain?
Each bag will contain CVIII coins.
To find the number of coins in each bag, divide the total number of coins by the number of bags.
DCCCXL = 840
VIII = 8
Therefore, DCCCXL / VIII = 840 / 8 = 105.
105 in Roman Numerals is CV. Hence, each bag will contain CVIII coins.
A museum has a collection of CDXX artifacts in one section and wants to add another CDXL artifacts to it. What is the total number of artifacts in Roman Numerals?
The total number of artifacts is DCCLX.
Sum is the result of adding two numbers.
CDXX = 420
CDXL = 440
420 + 440 = 860
860 in Roman Numerals is DCCLX.
Therefore, the total number of artifacts is DCCLX.
An architect designs a building with DCC rooms and later decides to add LX more. What is the final total number of rooms in Roman numerals?
The final total number of rooms is DCCLX.
To find the total number of rooms, add the initial number of rooms to the additional ones.
DCC = 700
LX = 60
700 + 60 = 760
760 in Roman Numerals is DCCLX. Thus, the final total number of rooms is DCCLX.
A collection of ancient scrolls is divided into two sections. If one section contains CCCLXX scrolls and the other contains CCCCLXXXX, find the difference between the two sections.
The difference between the two sections is CXX.
The difference of two numbers is the value we get when subtracting the number from the other.
CCCLXX = 370
CCCCLXXXX = 490
490 - 370 = 120
120 in Roman Numerals can be written as CXX. Therefore, the difference is CXX.
A library has a policy to loan out books in batches. If it loans out XL books IV times in a month, how many books are loaned in total in Roman numerals?
The total number of books loaned is CLX.
Multiply the number of books loaned per batch by the number of times they are loaned.
XL = 40
IV = 4
40 × 4 = 160
160 in Roman Numerals is CLX. Thus, the total number of books loaned is CLX.
Hiralee Lalitkumar Makwana has almost two years of teaching experience. She is a number ninja as she loves numbers. Her interest in numbers can be seen in the way she cracks math puzzles and hidden patterns.
: She loves to read number jokes and games.