subtract

sub·tract

verb \səb-ˈtrakt\

Definition of SUBTRACT

transitive verb

: to take away by or as if by deducting <subtract 5 from 9> <subtract funds from the project>

intransitive verb

: to perform a subtraction

— sub·tract·er noun

Examples of SUBTRACT

1. <if you subtract 10 from 23, you get 13>
2. <you can subtract the time you spent daydreaming from your total homework time>

Origin of SUBTRACT

Latin subtractus, past participle of subtrahere to draw from beneath, withdraw, from sub- + trahere to draw

First Known Use: 1557

Related to SUBTRACT

Synonyms

abate, deduct, knock off, take off

Antonyms

add, tack (on)

Related Words

decrease, diminish, discount, downsize, dwindle, knock down, lessen, lower, reduce; abbreviate, abridge, clip, crop, curtail, cut, cut back, cut down, dock, pare, prune, retrench, shorten, slash, trim, truncate, whittle

Near Antonyms

adjoin, annex, append; complement, supplement; enhance, heighten, intensify, magnify; aggrandize, amplify, augment, beef (up), boost, compound, enlarge, escalate, expand, increase, multiply, raise

Rhymes with SUBTRACT

abstract, attract, class act, compact, contact, contract, crookbacked, detract, didact, diffract, distract, enact, entr'acte, epact, exact, extract, humpbacked, hunchbacked, impact, infract, intact, mossbacked, playact, protract, react, redact, refract, retract, sex act, swaybacked, transact, unbacked