preposition / noun / adjective
minus
MY-nuhs/ˈmaɪnəs/
A deduction from an amount or value.
Four apples minus the one removed leaves three on the table.
Etymology
Latin “less” became a term for subtraction, probably through commercial use to indicate deficiencies in weight or measure. Its use for something absent extends that subtractive meaning.
In context
our new equation has the form of total force equals something minus something else so there must be two competing properties at play here
More examples
- Everyone arrives on time, minus the team captain.
- She earns an A minus on her final paper.
- The apartment's only minus is its tiny kitchen.
Forms
minus · minuses
Similar words
- less
- Used before an amount deducted, especially in financial calculations.
- deduction
- Names an amount removed from a total, often for expenses.
- subtraction
- Names the arithmetic operation rather than a particular deduction.