subtraction

[ suhb-trak-shuhn ]
See synonyms for subtraction on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an act or instance of subtracting.

  2. Mathematics. the operation or process of finding the difference between two numbers or quantities, denoted by a minus sign (−).

Origin of subtraction

1
1350–1400; Middle English <Late Latin subtractiōn- (stem of subtractiō) a withdrawing, equivalent to subtract(us) (see subtract) + -iōn--ion

Other words from subtraction

  • non·sub·trac·tion, noun

Words Nearby subtraction

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use subtraction in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for subtraction

subtraction

/ (səbˈtrækʃən) /


noun
  1. the act or process of subtracting

  2. a mathematical operation in which the difference between two numbers or quantities is calculated. Usually indicated by the symbol (–)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for subtraction

subtraction

[ səb-trăkshən ]


  1. The operation of finding the difference between two numbers or quantities.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.