What does "minus" mean?
The minus sign (−).
Minus
/ˈmaɪ.nəs/ adj, name, noun, prep, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, prep, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The minus sign (−).
- Grammar: minus is listed as adj, name, noun, prep, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: drawback, shortcoming, absence of extra costs, absence of tracking.
- Useful contrasts: additive, advantage, antonym(s) of.
- Usage evidence: The thermometer registered minus ten last night.
How to use "minus"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "minus" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "minus" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "minus" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "minus" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "minus" is acting as adj, name, noun, prep, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "drawback" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "minus", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The minus sign (−).
"On the third day a Master Barnard brings me up a slate full of plusses, minusses, x, y, z’s, and other letters of the alphabet, in a most amiable algebraical confusion."
- 2 an arithmetic operation in which the difference between two numbers is calculated wordnet
- 3 A negative quantity.
- 4 A downside or disadvantage.
"He valued Roderick’s friendship with the highest value he put on anything nowadays. Over the years they had assessed each other’s plusses and minusses and settled for the difference."
Verb
- 1 To subtract. colloquial, transitive
"For example, in solving the following equation, x + 4 = 9, the child using the negating mechanism will reason, "minussing 4" undoes "plussing 4" therefore, if x + 4 = 9 then x = 5 and will not see any point in using any intermediate steps."
Adjective
- 1 Being a negative quantity; pertaining to a deficit or reduction. not-comparable
"a minus number"
- 2 That is below zero by (a specified amount) on a scale. not-comparable
"minus seven degrees"
- 3 Worse off than before; out of pocket. colloquial, not-comparable, obsolete
"The races being finished, we left Epsom for London, Mordaunt's natural vile temper not being at all improved by being three hundred pounds minus by the week's speculation […] ."
- 4 Ranking just below (a designated rating). not-comparable, postpositional
"He got a grade of B minus for his essay."
Adjective
- 1 involving disadvantage or harm wordnet
- 2 on the negative side or lower end of a scale wordnet
Preposition
- 1 Made less or reduced by (followed by an expression of number or quantity).
"Seven minus two is five."
- 2 Without; deprived of. informal
"I walked out minus my coat."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The thermometer registered minus ten last night."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "minus"?
Common synonyms include: drawback, shortcoming, absence of extra costs, absence of tracking, barring, bereaved.
How do you use "minus" in a sentence?
The thermometer registered minus ten last night.
How do you pronounce "minus"?
Pronounced /ˈmaɪ.nəs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English mynus, from Latin minus, neuter form of minor, comparative form of parvus (“small, little”), from the Proto-Indo-European root *mey- (“few, small”).
Etymology 2
Unexplained.