Roman Numeral Converter
Convert any number between 1 and 3999 to Roman numerals instantly with our free online tool. Perfect for students, historians, and professionals working with ancient numbering systems.
Roman Numerals Chart
Reference chart showing common Roman numerals and their corresponding values:
| Roman Numeral | Number Value | Usage Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | 1 | I, II, III, IV, V |
| V | 5 | V, VI, VII, VIII, IX |
| X | 10 | X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV |
| L | 50 | L, LI, LII, LIII, LIV |
| C | 100 | C, CI, CII, CIII, CIV |
| D | 500 | D, DI, DII, DIII, DIV |
| M | 1000 | M, MI, MII, MIII, MIV |
| ↀ | 1000 (alternate) | ↀ, ↁ, ↂ (medieval numerals) |
About Roman Numerals
Roman numerals originated in ancient Rome and remained the standard way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. This numerical system uses combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet to signify values. The basic Roman numerals are: I (1), V (5), X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500), and M (1000). Our converter tool follows the standard subtractive notation where a smaller numeral before a larger one is subtracted (e.g., IV = 4, IX = 9).
Today, Roman numerals are still used for various purposes including clock faces, book chapters, movie credits, sporting events, and the numbering of annual events like the Super Bowl or Olympic Games. They provide a classic, timeless appearance and are often used when an alternative to Arabic numerals is desired for stylistic reasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
The concept of zero as a number was not part of the Roman numeral system, which was developed before the idea of zero as a digit was established in mathematics.
There’s no standard form for numbers this large in classical Roman numerals. Medieval systems sometimes used an overline (M with a line above) or special symbols, but our converter focuses on standard forms up to 3999.