WorkedMathGlossary

Absolute Value Calculator

Enter any number below to instantly get its absolute value.

|-7|
7

What Is Absolute Value?

Absolute value strips away a number's sign and leaves only its distance from zero. It's written with vertical bars: |x|.

Worked example

Find |−7|.

−7 is 7 units from zero on the number line.

|−7| = 7

Frequently Asked Questions

What does absolute value mean?

Absolute value is a number's distance from zero on the number line, always expressed as a non-negative number. |5| = 5 and |−5| = 5, since both are 5 units from zero.

Can absolute value be negative?

No. Absolute value measures a distance, and distances are never negative. The smallest possible absolute value is 0, for the number 0 itself.

How do you calculate absolute value?

If the number is positive or zero, its absolute value is itself. If it's negative, its absolute value is the number with the negative sign removed.

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