/ˌɪnt ˈsɪksˌtiːn/
noun … “a signed 16-bit integer with a defined range.”
INT16 is a numeric data type that occupies exactly 16 bits of memory and can represent both negative and positive values. Using Two's Complement encoding, it provides a range from -32768 to 32767. The sign bit is the most significant bit, while the remaining 15 bits represent the magnitude, enabling arithmetic operations to behave consistently across the entire range.
Because of its fixed size, INT16 is used in memory-efficient contexts where numbers fit within its range but require representation of both positive and negative values. Examples include audio sample deltas, sensor readings, and numeric computations in embedded systems or network protocols.
INT16 is closely related to other integer types such as UINT16, INT8, UINT8, INT32, and UINT32. Choosing INT16 allows for efficient use of memory while still supporting negative values, in contrast to its unsigned counterpart, UINT16.
The intuition anchor is that INT16 is a balanced numeric container: two Bytes capable of holding small to medium numbers, both positive and negative, with predictable overflow and wraparound behavior.