1998 in Roman numerals
MCMXCVIII
The year 1998 is written MCMXCVIII in Roman numerals. As a year it appears in copyright lines and cornerstones written this way.
What MCMXCVIII means
MCMXCVIII is the Roman numeral for 1998. If you have arrived here with the numeral rather than the number — off a clock face, a film credit, a monument or a book's front matter — that is the answer; the working is below.
How MCMXCVIII breaks down
| Symbols | Value |
|---|---|
M | 1,000 |
CM | 900 |
XC | 90 |
V | 5 |
III | 3 × 1 = 3 |
MCMXCVIII | 1,998 |
This numeral uses the subtractive rule: a smaller symbol placed before a larger one is subtracted from it. Only six such pairs are legal — IV (4), IX (9), XL (40), XC (90), CD (400) and CM (900).
Nearby numbers
| Number | Roman numeral |
|---|---|
| 1,993 | MCMXCIII |
| 1,994 | MCMXCIV |
| 1,995 | MCMXCV |
| 1,996 | MCMXCVI |
| 1,997 | MCMXCVII |
| 1,998 | MCMXCVIII |
| 1,999 | MCMXCIX |
| 2,000 | MM |
| 2,001 | MMI |
| 2,002 | MMII |
| 2,003 | MMIII |
The seven symbols
I | 1 | C | 100 |
V | 5 | D | 500 |
X | 10 | M | 1,000 |
L | 50 |
1998 in other notations
| Roman | MCMXCVIII |
| Binary | 11111001110 |
| Hexadecimal | 7CE |
| Octal | 3716 |
| Written out | one thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight |
Writing it by hand
Work down through the symbol values, taking as many of each as will fit before moving to the next. For 1998:
M = 1000 remaining: 998
CM = 900 remaining: 98
XC = 90 remaining: 8
V = 5 remaining: 3
3 × I = 3 remaining: 0The result reads MCMXCVIII — 9 characters, against 4 digits in Arabic numerals. The verbosity at numbers like this is precisely why positional notation replaced the system for arithmetic.
Frequently asked questions
What is 1998 in Roman numerals?
MCMXCVIII
What number is MCMXCVIII?
MCMXCVIII is 1998. Read left to right, adding each symbol and subtracting any that sits before a larger one.
How do you read MCMXCVIII?
Work left to right, adding each symbol — except where a smaller symbol precedes a larger one, in which case it is subtracted. M is 1,000, CM is 900, XC is 90, V is 5, III is 3, giving 1998 in total.
How do you write 1998 in words?
one thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight.
Why is there no zero?
Roman numerals have no symbol for zero. The concept reached Europe only with Hindu-Arabic numerals, centuries after the system was in use — which is a large part of why it was eventually replaced for arithmetic.
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