A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called what?

A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is defined as a composite number. Composite numbers are those that have more than two distinct positive divisors—specifically, they can be divided evenly by numbers other than 1 and themselves. For example, the number 6 is composite because it can be divided by 1, 2, 3, and 6. All composite numbers fit the criteria of being greater than 1 and not being prime, as prime numbers only have two distinct positive divisors: 1 and themselves.

In contrast, the other terms do not accurately describe a natural number that is not prime. An integer refers to all whole numbers, positive and negative, including zero, and thus does not specifically indicate anything about primality. A prime number is, by definition, a natural number greater than 1 that has exactly two distinct positive divisors. A whole number includes all non-negative integers (0, 1, 2, ...), which expands beyond the bounds of just composite or prime categorization. Therefore, identifying a natural number greater than 1 that is not prime as composite is specific and accurate.