XLVI

XLVI is the Roman numeral for the number 46. It is composed of XL (40) and VI (6), with the subtractive principle of X before L indicating 50 minus 10, yielding 46.

In the ancient Roman numeral system, XLVI belongs to a class of numerals that combine additive and subtractive notation. While Roman numerals are not used for everyday counting today, they continue to appear in clocks, outlines, monuments, chapter headings, and other contexts where traditional or ceremonial notation is preferred. They are also used to label ordered sequences, such as monarchic regnal numbers or editions of works.

Mathematically, 46 is an even, composite integer. Its prime factorization is 2 × 23. It lies between 45 and 47, and it can be represented in other numeral systems as well, such as binary 101110 or hexadecimal 2E.

Usage and occurrences: XLVI appears when expressing dates or numbers in Roman numerals, such as historical references to the year XLVI AD or XLVI BC, or in modern texts to denote the 46th item in a series. It may also be used, for example, to designate the XLVI edition of a publication or event, following conventional Roman numeral formatting.

See also: Roman numerals; numeral systems; 46 (number).