Roman Numerals Converter

About Roman Numerals

Roman numerals are a number system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are represented by combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet.

Basic Roman Numerals

• I = 1
• V = 5
• X = 10
• L = 50
• C = 100
• D = 500
• M = 1000

Rules for Roman Numerals

1. Numbers are formed by combining symbols and adding their values
2. Symbols are generally placed in order of value, starting with the largest values
3. When a smaller value precedes a larger value, the smaller value is subtracted from the larger value
4. The symbols "I", "X", "C", and "M" can be repeated three times in succession
5. The symbols "V", "L", and "D" are never repeated

Common Combinations

• IV = 4 (5-1)
• IX = 9 (10-1)
• XL = 40 (50-10)
• XC = 90 (100-10)
• CD = 400 (500-100)
• CM = 900 (1000-100)

Usage Examples

• Historical dates (e.g., MCMLXXX = 1980)
• Chapter numbers in books
• Clock faces
• Movie copyright dates
• Names of monarchs and popes