verb
subtract
sub-TRAKT/səbˈtrækt/
To take an amount or part away from a total or whole.
Moving two apples aside lets us subtract two from five, leaving three.
Etymology
The pieces convey drawing something from under or pulling it away. The broader sense of withdrawal or removal becomes mathematical when the thing taken away is one quantity from another.
In context
Always remember, put the bigger number on the top and put the small on the bottom subtract it. And that'll tell you, yes it's take away.
More examples
- The cashier subtracts the discount from my bill.
- We subtracted our expenses from our earnings to find our profit.
- Subtract the empty container's weight to find the weight of the rice.
Forms
subtract · subtracts · subtracted · subtracting
subtraction noun — The act of taking away an amount.