A multiplicand is the number being multiplied in a multiplication problem. When you see 3 × 4, the multiplicand is 3 (the number being multiplied), while 4 is the multiplier (telling you how many times to multiply). Think of it this way: if you have 3 cookies and you multiply that amount by 4, you end up with 12 cookies total. The 3 is your multiplicand.

Here's the tricky part: mathematically, it doesn't matter which number you call the multiplicand and which you call the multiplier, since 3 × 4 equals 4 × 3. But traditionally, when we write multiplication problems left to right, the first number is the multiplicand.

You'll see this word mostly in math textbooks or when learning the formal vocabulary of multiplication. Most people just say “the numbers you're multiplying” in everyday conversation. But knowing the proper term helps when you're trying to understand exactly what role each number plays in the problem, especially when you're learning more complex mathematics where keeping track of which number does what becomes important.