Concept

Like Terms

Like terms are two or more terms in an algebraic expression that have the same variable with the same exponent. $\begin{gathered} 7xy+2x-3xy-2x^2+x+5x^2 \end{gathered}$ In this expression, there are three sets of like terms: $xy\text{-terms},$ $x\text{-terms},$ and $x^2\text{-terms}.$

Note that all constants are like terms, and can thus be combined.