minus

1 of 3

preposition

mi·​nus ˈmī-nəs 

1

: diminished by : less

seven minus four is three

2

: deprived of : without

left minus his hat

minus

2 of 3

noun

1

: a negative quantity

2

: a negative quality

especially : drawback

decided the pluses of owning a house outweighed the minuses

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

Synonyms of minus

Preposition

• without

Noun

• disadvantage
• handicap
• negative
• downside

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

What To Know The NWS office in Juneau, Alaska, issued the extreme cold watch on Sunday, warning of wind chills that could plunge as low as minus 40 degrees in the region surrounding the Klondike Highway. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025

But colder air will return in the evening, with the Madison area expected to be as low as minus 2 and the Milwaukee area falling between 5 and 15. —Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 6 Dec. 2025

Noun

And some people are saying, like min –minus plus of five seconds per-- per day. —Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025

Anything above a plus 4% would suggest the market is overbought; anything below a minus 4% would indicate the market is oversold. —Jeff Marks, CNBC, 5 Dec. 2025

Adjective

Florida has been outscored 35-27 in the third period, a minus-eight differential that is tied for the fifth-worst in the NHL. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 6 Dec. 2025

Wind chills in the minus 30 range can mean frostbite in 15 minutes. —Dan Basso, Freep.com, 3 Dec. 2025

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

Phrases Containing minus

• minus sign
• on the minus side
• plus/minus sign
• plus or minus

Rhymes for minus

• coyness
• dryness
• highness
• linus
• pinus
• shyness
• sinus
• busyness
• equinus

Kids Definition

minus

1 of 3 preposition

mi·​nus ˈmī-nəs 

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

especially : disadvantage entry 1 sense 2b

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 

: 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