verb
subtract
suhb-TRAKT
verb
1
To take one number or amount away from another.
"Subtract the discount from the total before adding tax."
"If you subtract 8 from 20, you get 12."
How to Use Subtract
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo take away a quantity from another — the opposite of add.
Easily confused with
subtrahend
Common pairings
subtract from
add and subtract
subtract the difference
Word Forms
subtracted past tense, subtracts singular
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_____ the discount from the total before adding tax.
Etymology
From Latin subtractus, past participle of subtrahere, from sub- ("from beneath") plus trahere ("to draw, pull").