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

Wind chills between minus 10 and zero. —Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 27 Feb. 2026

Puma now expects sales to continue to decline in the low to midsingle digits over this year and for EBIT to remain in the red, somewhere between minus 50 million and 150 million euros. —Cathrin Schaer, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026

Noun

The sophomore phenom leads the country in defensive rating, win shares and box plus/minus. —Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 2026

There are a few pluses and minuses that may influence the barbecuers’s final purchase choice. —New Atlas, 20 Feb. 2026

Adjective

Throw in the likelihood of Wednesday finishing the season on a minus points total, as seems likely, with seven of those 18 points deducted in the autumn still to be reclaimed, and these are bleak days at Hillsborough. —Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026

Wind chills in the minus 20s are possible in Michigan and Ohio through Saturday morning, with wind chills in the minus 10s possible from southern Ohio and West Virginia down to northern Virginia. —Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 7 Feb. 2026

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