subtract

play

verb sub·tract \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

subtracter

noun

See subtract defined for English-language learners

See subtract defined for kids

Examples of subtract in a Sentence

if you subtract 10 from 23, you get 13
you can subtract the time you spent daydreaming from your total homework time

Recent Examples of subtract from the Web

Similar to Facebook, Google is introducing the ability to add and subtract certain topics of interest.

— chris ciaccia, Fox News, "Google wants to be more like Facebook as it rolls out its own news feed," 19 July 2017
Kelly’s probably had 15 subtracted for being too damn delicious.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Where to eat, drink in Athens, Georgia," 30 June 2017
Get a key combo wrong and the machine will buzz disapprovingly—and subtract a minute from your total remaining time.

— nate anderson, Ars Technica, "Roundup: The best “escape room” games for a breakout party," 24 June 2017
But AR can also be used to subtract items from view and help consumers focus on specific objects lost in panoply of visual clutter.

— jay samit, Fortune, "Brick and Mortar Retail Is About to Get a Technology Makeover," 23 June 2017
The game against the Badgers required Xavier to subtract Utah of the Pac-12 Conference from the 2017-18 schedule.

— patrick brennan, Cincinnati.com, "Xavier men's hoops announces 5 December home games," 20 June 2017
The scientists then teased out how much of those fluctuations came from water being added to or subtracted from Earth’s surface, and calculated how that affected forces deep underground where earthquakes begin, or nucleate.

— warren cornwall, Science | AAAS, "Shifting water weight can trigger small earthquakes in California," 15 June 2017
Economic growth as measured by the gross domestic product slowed in the January-March quarter, in part because inventories subtracted from overall economic activity.

— matt ott, The Seattle Times, "US businesses cut stockpiles in April," 14 June 2017
By the end of last year, Yahoo’s annual revenue after subtracting ad commissions had shrunk to $3.5 billion, a 35 percent drop from its 2008 peak.

— Washington Post, "Verizon takes over Yahoo to complete $4.5 billion deal," 13 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'subtract.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of subtract

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1557

See Words from the same year

SUBTRACT Defined for English Language Learners

subtract

play

verb

Definition of subtract for English Language Learners

: to take (a number or amount) from another number or amount

SUBTRACT Defined for Kids

subtract

play

verb sub·tract \səb-ˈtrakt\

Definition of subtract for Students

subtracted

;

subtracting

: to take away (as one part or number from another) : deduct

Word Root of subtract

The Latin word tractus, meaning “pulled” or “dragged,” gives us the root tract. Words from the Latin tractus have to do with being pulled or dragged. To attract is to pull or draw towards you. To distract is to pull someone's attention away from something. To extract is to pull one thing out of another. To subtract is to pull a portion or number away from a group or from a whole.