1998 in Roman numerals at a glance
- Roman numeral
- MCMXCVIII
- Lowercase
- mcmxcviii
- Letters
- 9
- Parts
- M · CM · XC · V · I · I · I
- Subtractive pairs
- CM, XC
- Read aloud
- nineteen ninety-eight
- Leap year?
- No
How MCMXCVIII is built
Roman numerals are written one decimal place at a time, from the largest place to the smallest. Converting each digit of 1998 separately and joining the pieces gives MCMXCVIII:
| Place | Digit | Value | Numeral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thousands | 1 | 1,000 | M |
| Hundreds | 9 | 900 | CM |
| Tens | 9 | 90 | XC |
| Ones | 8 | 8 | VIII |
Reading it back, left to right:
- M = 1,000 → running total 1,000
- CM = 900 (M minus C) → running total 1,900
- XC = 90 (C minus X) → running total 1,990
- V = 5 → running total 1,995
- I = 1 → running total 1,996
- I = 1 → running total 1,997
- I = 1 → running total 1,998
Why MCMXCVIII has 9 letters
Every year from 1900 to 1999 begins with MCM (1,900); the rest of MCMXCVIII after MCM — XCVIII — spells out 98. Of the 201 years from 1900 to 2100, 6 have a longer numeral and 179 a shorter one.
The rules MCMXCVIII follows
- Largest to smallest. MCMXCVIII uses the symbols M, C, X, V and I (9 characters in all), and the values never increase from left to right except inside a subtractive pair.
- Subtraction. CM (900) and XC (90) are subtractive pairs: a smaller symbol in front of a larger one is taken away from it. Only six pairs are allowed — IV, IX, XL, XC, CD and CM — and MCMXCVIII uses two of them.
- Repetition. III repeats I three times. I, X, C and M may repeat up to three times in a row; V, L and D never repeat.
Common mistakes when writing 1998
- MDCCCCXCVIII — wrong because standard numerals never repeat a symbol four times; 900 is written CM. The correct form is MCMXCVIII.
- MCMLXXXXVIII — wrong because standard numerals never repeat a symbol four times; 90 is written XC. The correct form is MCMXCVIII.
The year 1998 in Roman numerals: where it appears
- Film and TV credits. Copyright lines at the end of films and TV programs of the period commonly gave the year in numerals — a 1998 production might end with “Copyright MCMXCVIII.”
- Championship numbering. The pro football championship played in early 1998 was game XXXII (32), since the series began with game I in January 1967.
- On a calendar. 1998 was not a leap year (365 days), and January 1 fell on a Thursday. A full date such as July 4, 1998 is often written VII · IV · MCMXCVIII.
To turn a complete birth date or wedding date into numerals — with dots, dashes or spaces in US or day-first order — use the Roman numeral date converter.
Years around 1998 in Roman numerals
| Year | Roman numeral | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | MCMXCIII | 8 |
| 1994 | MCMXCIV | 7 |
| 1995 | MCMXCV | 6 |
| 1996 | MCMXCVI | 7 |
| 1997 | MCMXCVII | 8 |
| 1998 | MCMXCVIII | 9 |
| 1999 | MCMXCIX | 7 |
| 2000 | MM | 2 |
| 2001 | MMI | 3 |
| 2002 | MMII | 4 |
| 2003 | MMIII | 5 |
Frequently asked questions
How do you write 1998 in Roman numerals?
1998 is written MCMXCVIII. Break it into M (1000), CM (900), XC (90), V (5), I (1), I (1), I (1) and add the parts: 1000 + 900 + 90 + 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 1998.
Is MDCCCCXCVIII a correct way to write 1998?
No. MDCCCCXCVIII is wrong because standard numerals never repeat a symbol four times; 900 is written CM. The standard numeral for 1998 is MCMXCVIII.
How do you say MCMXCVIII?
Read the value, not the letters: MCMXCVIII is the year 1998, said “nineteen ninety-eight.” Spelling out the letters one by one is only useful when checking a carving or engraving.
What year comes after MCMXCVIII?
1999, written MCMXCIX. The year before, 1997, is MCMXCVII.