Atomic Mass greater than Mass Number?

[LForgosh]

How can an isotope have greater atomic mass than mass number if mass defect indicates that mass should be lost and not gained? For example, U-235 has an atomic mass of approximately 235.0439299 u. Based on my understanding of mass defect, shouldn't it have an atomic mass that is less than 235 u? Thanks

[nicolesharp100]

The mass defect is the difference between the mass of the nucleus and the sum of the free (unbound) masses of the nucleons (protons and neutrons) composing the nucleus.  Whereas the atomic mass number is an integer representing the total number of nucleons in the nucleus.  To avoid this confusion, it is better to refer to the atomic mass number A as the "nucleon number" instead.  One proton has an atomic mass number or nucleon number of exactly 1 (it is a single nucleon) but a relative atomic mass of 1.007 (a mass of 1.007 daltons).  One dalton or atomic mass unit is defined as exactly 1/12 of the mass of a carbon-12 atom.  A neutron has a relative atomic mass of 1.009 (a mass of 1.009 daltons).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/mass_defect