as in approximately
close to but not exactly
I have plus or minus five dollars in change
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Recent Examples of plus or minus
The margin of error was plus or minus 3%, with a 95% confidence interval.
—
Emily Dreibelbis, PCMAG, 9 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2023
For the third quarter, the company guided for revenue of $2 billion, plus or minus $150 million.
—Kathryn Hardison, WSJ, 26 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for plus or minus
Emily Dreibelbis, PCMAG, 9 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2023
For the third quarter, the company guided for revenue of $2 billion, plus or minus $150 million.
—Kathryn Hardison, WSJ, 26 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for plus or minus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plus or minus
Adverb
-
At the inaugural event held in May, music professionals voted — with some category exceptions — to determine winners across 62 categories (including six major awards) from a pool of approximately 3,000 entries.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The nation controls approximately 73% of the global cobalt refining capacity.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
The journalists who rushed to the scene managed to jot down the names of about a dozen—the VIPs (there were three members of parliament on the train that day, which was a factor in the disaster) and a couple of servants.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
And despite incorporating the EMALS technology, two former US carrier officers told CNN last month that the Fujian’s air operations may still run at only about 60% the rate of a 50-year-old US Navy carrier due to the configuration of the carrier’s flight deck.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Belau is the founder of Girls’ Guide to the World, a tour company that arranges roughly 80 international group trips a year primarily for Americans as well as travelers from other English-speaking countries.—
Terry Ward,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Yet Tapestry—the parent company of Coach—said Gen Z now accounts for roughly 35% of its new customers, helping the brand beat Wall Street expectations and raise its full-year forecast.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Most of his wealth is in original Class A shares, which currently trade around $750,000 each.—
,
CNBC,
11 Nov. 2025
-
However, leave it to one of the biggest heels around, Dominik Mysterio, to interrupt the proceedings.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plus or minus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plus%20or%20minus. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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