Mathematical literacy is a well-known term within mathematical didactics. The following study’s aim was to define mathematical literacy and to investigate significant language aspects related to the development of mathematical literacy. A variety of scientific articles were selected for comparison and analysis. Results showed that mathematical literacy often is defined as a content specific literacy area, uniting skills in the general content area literacy with numeracy. Well-developed skills in mathematical literacy often indicate advanced linguistic skills, as awareness of semantics and syntax are demanded to develop mathematical literacy. The relationship between numeracy and literacy, both general and subject-specific, is illustrated as skills in language directly relates to success in mathematics. The findings conclude that literacy demands are higher in mathematics than in other subjects due to the importance of the exact understanding of terms and expressions.