minus
MEYE-nuhs
Minus (prep) means Reduced by; with a certain amount subtracted. Example: “Twenty minus five leaves fifteen, so we still have enough chairs.”
prep
1
Reduced by; with a certain amount subtracted.
"Twenty minus five leaves fifteen, so we still have enough chairs."
"Ten minus three is seven."
"He came to work minus his laptop, which he'd left at home."
noun
1
A drawback or disadvantage.
"One minus of the job is the long commute each morning."
"The plan has many pluses, but the cost is a definite minus."
"The only minus of the new flat is the noisy street outside."
adj
1
Negative, or below a given value.
"The explorers recorded minus temperatures every night of the trip."
"A minus number is always smaller than zero."
"Temperatures dropped to minus ten overnight."
How to use minus
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe word for subtraction, a negative amount, or (informally) a downside.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
pros and minuses
minus sign
minus degrees
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Word forms
- Plural
- minuses, minusses
- Third person singular
- minuses, minusses
- Past tense
- minused, minussed
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Can you complete this real example?
Twenty _____ five leaves fifteen, so we still have enough chairs.
Etymology
From Latin minus, meaning "less," the neuter form of minor ("smaller").
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for minus
See all rhymes for minus →Frequently asked questions
What does “minus” mean?
The word “minus” means reduced by; with a certain amount subtracted. In plain terms, the word for subtraction, a negative amount, or (informally) a downside.
How do you pronounce “minus”?
“Minus” is pronounced MEYE-nuhs (/ˈmaɪ.nəs/ in IPA).
How do you use “minus” in a sentence?
Here is “minus” used in a sentence: “Ten minus three is seven.”
What is another word for “minus”?
Words with a similar meaning to “minus” include defect, drawback, deficiency, flaw, shortcoming and negative.
What is the opposite of “minus”?
The opposite of “minus” — its antonyms — are plus, plus sign, antonym(s) of, advantage and bonus.
What part of speech is “minus”?
Depending on how it is used, “minus” can be a preposition, a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “minus” come from?
The word “minus” comes from Latin. From Latin minus, meaning "less," the neuter form of minor ("smaller").
Is “minus” a common word?
“Minus” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between minus and negative?
Minus is used for the operation of subtraction, as in "nine minus four," and also informally for values below zero, especially temperatures: "minus ten degrees." Negative describes the sign of a number itself, as in "negative five," and is the form generally preferred in mathematics teaching. In everyday speech the two overlap heavily.
Can minus be used to mean "without"?
Yes, informally. Because minus means reduced by, or with a certain amount subtracted, it is often used light-heartedly to mean without, as in "he came home minus his umbrella." This use is fine in casual speech and writing but too informal for most professional documents.
What are "pluses and minuses"?
Pluses and minuses are advantages and disadvantages. As a noun, a minus is a drawback or disadvantage, so weighing the pluses and minuses of a plan means weighing its good points against its bad ones.
Should you say minus or subtract when reading a sum aloud?
Both are correct, but they fit different sentence patterns. Minus works as a preposition inside the expression itself: "seven minus three is four." Subtract is a verb and takes a different construction: "subtract three from seven." Saying "seven subtract three" is heard in classrooms but minus is the standard choice for reading expressions.
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