minus
Americanpreposition
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less by the subtraction of; decreased by.
Ten minus six is four.
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lacking or without.
a book minus its title page.
adjective
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involving or noting subtraction.
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algebraically negative.
a minus quantity.
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less than; just below in quality.
to get a C minus on a test.
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Informal. having negative qualities or characteristics; inferior.
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Mycology. (in heterothallic fungi) designating, in the absence of morphological differentiation, one of the two strains of mycelia that unite in the sexual process.
noun
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a minus quantity.
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a deficiency or loss.
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Informal. a person or thing with no apparent abilities, usefulness, etc..
The last applicant was a definite minus.
preposition
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reduced by the subtraction of
four minus two (written 4 – 2)
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informal deprived of; lacking
minus the trimmings, that hat would be ordinary
adjective
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indicating or involving subtraction
a minus sign
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Also: negative. having a value or designating a quantity less than zero
a minus number
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on the negative part of a scale or coordinate axis
a value of minus 40°C
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involving a disadvantage, harm, etc
a minus factor
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(postpositive) education slightly below the standard of a particular grade
he received a B minus for his essay
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botany designating the strain of a fungus that can only undergo sexual reproduction with a plus strain
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denoting a negative electric charge
noun
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short for minus sign
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a negative quantity
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a disadvantage, loss, or deficit
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informal something detrimental or negative
Etymology
Origin of minus
1300–50; Middle English < Latin, neuter of minor less; minor
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Consumer confidence fell three points to minus 19 in the month, according to research group GfK’s index, published with the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions on Friday.
The labor market differential, which measures the share of consumers saying jobs are “plentiful” minus the share saying jobs are “hard to get” ticked up from the last reading.
The German insurer expects to make 17.4 billion euros in operating profit this year, plus or minus 1 billion euros.
The chamber was cooled to minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit to match temperatures in icy regions of Mars.
From Science Daily
Papa laughed and said, “It looks like I’m going to be minus another pair of my overalls.”
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
