minus

1 of 3

preposition

mi·​nus ˈmī-nəs How to pronounce minus (audio)
1
: diminished by : less
seven minus four is three
2
: deprived of : without
minus his hat

minus

2 of 3

noun

1
: a negative quantity
2
: a negative quality
especially : drawback

minus

3 of 3

adjective

1
: algebraically negative
a minus quantity
minus ten degrees
2
: having a negative quality
3
: relating to or being a particular one of the two mating types that are required for successful fertilization in sexual reproduction in some lower plants (such as a fungus)
4
: falling low in a specified range
B minus

Examples of minus in a Sentence

Preposition He left the restaurant minus his hat. a fruit that looks like a peach, minus the fuzz Noun She decided that the pluses of owning a home outweighed the minuses. Some employers see a lack of experience as a real minus. Put the minus to the left of the number.
Recent Examples on the Web
Preposition
The drill holes were mainly placed in step-out rows subparallel to the 2017-2018 drilling, oriented with azimuths 230 - 260, generally inclined at minus 65 degrees from horizontal. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2024 Denver owes Wilson $39 million next season, minus whatever his new team pays him. Steve Almasy, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 What that's going to mean is that our billionaire has to pay tax on $9 billion: the $10 billion worth of borrowing minus the $1 billion worth of basis. Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Wind chill temperatures as low as minus 20 to minus 30 degrees will be common especially across the Plains and Midwest through Sunday morning. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 For weeks on end, the temperature dipped below minus 20. Genevieve Ko, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2024 At the time, temperatures at the nearby Timmerman Airport were 2 degrees below zero, with wind chills of minus 20 to minus 21, according to the National Weather Service. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2024 In Chicago and Buffalo, New York, all classes and after-school activities are canceled amid temperatures as low as minus 30 with wind chill. NBC News, 16 Jan. 2024 Wind chills below minus 30 could extend as far south as the Mississippi Valley, Asherman said. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
Noun
Still, Rozier did post the third-worst defensive estimated plus/minus among Hornets players this season and his point-of-attack defense will be an area to monitor. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2024 The biggest minus to not shadowing Diggs is the Dolphins losing the AFC East title and having to make a trip to Kansas City for a first-round playoff game. Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2024 Psychological knowledge can aid competitive performance under pressure, help evaluate the benefit of pursuing perfection and assess the pluses and minuses of high self-confidence. Tom Siegfried, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024 Adebayo also ranks first on the Heat in advanced metrics like defensive win shares and defensive estimated plus/minus. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2024 Offensively, the Ravens have had their ups and downs, but more pluses than minuses. Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2024 By tomorrow morning, temperatures in the minus 20s Fahrenheit, minus 30s and as low as minus 40 are forecast for the northern Plains. NBC News, 13 Jan. 2024 Even in cases where peripheral complications arise, such as with Austin, the advantages of the surgery far outweigh the minuses. Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024 Bam Adebayo added 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, eight rebounds and three assists while posting a game-best plus/minus of plus-32 in 30 minutes. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2024
Adjective
That supported expectations that the Bank of Japan may soon make a shift in its longstanding ultra-lax monetary policy, which is underpinned by a minus 0.1% benchmark interest rate. Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 27 Feb. 2024 On the top, the speaker has power, Bluetooth, and plus and minus buttons, along with battery life and LED status indicators. PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2024 Temperatures were minus 4 degrees F during kickoff with a minus 27 F wind chill. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 16 Jan. 2024 The Fifth District Survey of Manufacturing Activity index came in at minus 11 points from the minus five reported in November. Emon Reiser, WSJ, 27 Dec. 2023 Graphed out using a logarithmic scale, this information showed up as a downward 45 degree slope, or a minus one slope. Rachel Feltman, Popular Science, 8 Nov. 2023 The water level at Memphis fell to a record-low elevation of minus 11.5 feet on Wednesday afternoon, according to data from the National Weather Service. Ritu Prasad, CNN, 11 Oct. 2023 The minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit temperature in Boston smashed the previous Feb. 4 record of minus 2 set in 1886. Dennis Romero, NBC News, 5 Feb. 2023 And while a minus tide opens more area, less than a minus tide might still yield decent digging. Bill Monroe, oregonlive, 10 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'minus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Preposition

Middle English, from Latin minus, adverb, less, from neuter of minor smaller — more at minor

First Known Use

Preposition

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of minus was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near minus

Cite this Entry

“Minus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minus. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

minus

1 of 3 preposition
mi·​nus ˈmī-nəs How to pronounce minus (audio)
1
: with the subtraction of : less
7 minus 4 is 3
2
: without entry 1 sense 3a
minus his hat

minus

2 of 3 noun
1
: a negative quantity
2
: a negative quality

minus

3 of 3 adjective
1
: mathematically negative
4 plus minus 3
2
: falling low in a specified range
a grade of C minus

Medical Definition

minus

adjective
mi·​nus ˈmī-nəs How to pronounce minus (audio)
: relating to or being one of the two mating types required for successful fertilization in sexual reproduction in some lower plants (as a fungus) compare plus

More from Merriam-Webster on minus

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