17 Greatest / Least
Number & Operation Glossary
Adayshia Coleman
Greatest / Least
Formal Definition: In a given set of numbers or objects, the largest value is referred to as the “greatest”. It is the set’s largest element. In a given set of numbers or objects, the smallest value is referred to as the “least”. It is the set’s smallest element.
Kid-Friendly Explanation: The “greatest” number is the biggest number in a group. The “least” number is the smallest number in a group.
Example: If Sally has 3 strawberries, Lucy has 8 strawberries and Alex has 6, Lucy would have the greatest number because she has 8 strawberries and Sally would have the least amount of strawberries because she only has 3 strawberries.
Sally: Lucy:
Alex:
{3,6,8} Greatest Number: 8 Least Number: 3
Try It Out:
https://www.abcya.com/games/comparing_number_values