noun
minuend
MIN-yoo-end
Minuend (noun) means In arithmetic, the minuend is the number from which another number is subtracted. Example: “In 10 minus 4, 10 is the minuend.”
noun
1
technical In arithmetic, the minuend is the number from which another number is subtracted.
"In 10 minus 4, 10 is the minuend."
"She checked her working by adding the subtrahend back to the answer to see if it matched the minuend."
"The minuend must be larger than the subtrahend for a positive whole-number result."
How to use minuend
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe minuend is simply the first number in a subtraction, the one being reduced.
When to use it
Minuend is a formal arithmetic term rarely used outside maths teaching.
Memory tip
Pair it with its opposite, subtrahend, since the two terms are almost always taught and remembered together.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
subtrahend
Common pairings
the minuend and the subtrahend
larger minuend
subtract from the minuend
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In 10 minus 4, 10 is the _____.
Etymology
Minuend comes from the Latin minuendus, meaning something to be diminished, which is a form of the verb minuo, to decrease or diminish. Its ending mirrors the pattern of minus plus -end.
Frequently asked questions
What is a minuend in maths?
It is the starting number in a subtraction sum, the one that another number is taken away from.
What is the difference between a minuend and a subtrahend?
The minuend is the number you start with, while the subtrahend is the number subtracted from it.
How do you use minuend in a sentence about subtraction?
You could say that in 10 minus 4, 10 is the minuend and 4 is the subtrahend.
What is the meaning of minuend?
"minuend" (noun) means in arithmetic, the minuend is the number from which another number is subtracted.
