What is an Augend and How to Use It in Math?

If you are learning about addition, you may have come across the term augend. But what does it mean and how can you use it in math? In this article, we will explain the definition and origin of the word augend, give some examples of how to use it in math problems, and provide some tips on how to remember it.
Definition of Augend
An augend is the first of several numbers that are added together to form a sum. For example, in the equation 5 + 3 = 8, the number 5 is the augend, while the number 3 is called an addend. The result of adding the augend and the addend is called the sum.
The word augend comes from the Latin word augere, which means “to increase”. The augend is the number that is increased by adding other numbers to it.
Examples of Augend
Here are some examples of how to use the word augend in math problems:
- In the equation 7 + 4 = 11, what is the augend? The augend is 7, because it is the first number that is added to another number (4) to form a sum (11).
- In the equation x + y = z, what is the augend? The augend is x, because it is the first variable that is added to another variable (y) to form a sum (z).
- In the equation 2 + 3 + 4 = 9, what is the augend? The augend is 2, because it is the first number that is added to other numbers (3 and 4) to form a sum (9). Note that 3 and 4 are also addends, but they are not augends.
Tips on How to Remember Augend

If you have trouble remembering what an augend is, here are some tips that might help you:
- Think of the word augment, which means “to increase or make larger”. An augend is a number that is augmented by adding other numbers to it.
- Think of the letter A in augend. An augend is A number that is Added to other numbers.
- Think of a mnemonic device, such as “Augie’s End”. Imagine that Augie is a character who likes to add numbers. His end goal is to find the sum of all the numbers he adds. The first number he adds is always his augend.
We hope this article helped you understand what an augend is and how to use it in math. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments below.
Why is Augend Important?

Knowing what an augend is can help you understand the concept of addition and how it works. Addition is one of the basic operations in math that you will use in many situations, such as counting, measuring, comparing, and solving problems. By learning the terms and symbols that are used in addition, such as augend, addend, sum, and plus sign (+), you can communicate and perform addition more effectively and accurately.
How to Find the Augend in Different Types of Problems

Sometimes, you may encounter problems where you have to find the augend instead of the addend or the sum. For example, you may have a problem like this:
If 3 is added to a number, the result is 10. What is the number?
In this problem, you know the addend (3) and the sum (10), but you don’t know the augend. To find the augend, you can use the inverse operation of addition, which is subtraction. You can subtract the addend from the sum to get the augend. In this case, you can subtract 3 from 10 to get 7. So, the number (the augend) is 7.
You can also use algebra to find the augend in this type of problem. You can assign a variable (such as x) to represent the unknown number (the augend). Then, you can write an equation that shows the relationship between the augend, the addend, and the sum. In this case, you can write x + 3 = 10. Then, you can solve for x by isolating it on one side of the equation. In this case, you can subtract 3 from both sides of the equation to get x = 7. So, the number (the augend) is 7.
Here are some other examples of how to find the augend in different types of problems:
- If a number is increased by 5, the result is 12. What is the number? The number (the augend) is 12 – 5 = 7.
- If x is added to 4, the result is 9. What is x? x (the augend) is 9 – 4 = 5.
- If 6 more than a number is equal to 15. What is the number? The number (the augend) is 15 – 6 = 9.