subtract
Americanverb (used with object)
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subtracts,
present (3rd person singular)
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subtracted,
past participle, past
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subtracting
present participle
verb (used without object)
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subtracts,
present (3rd person singular)
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subtracted,
past participle, past
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subtracting
present participle
verb
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to calculate the difference between (two numbers or quantities) by subtraction
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to remove (a part of a thing, quantity, etc) from the whole
Usage
What does subtract mean? Subtract means to take something away, usually as in taking a piece out of a whole. In math, subtract means to perform subtraction, the operation in which you find difference between two numbers or quantities. You can subtract one thing from another, as in We need to subtract the cost of labor from our total profits. You can also subtract something without mentioning what you’re subtracting it from, as in If you subtract the busy traffic, my day wasn’t that bad. In other words, when you consider everything in my day, except for the traffic it wasn’t a bad day. For the most part, subtract usually refers to taking a small piece away from a bigger whole. However, subtracting can potentially result in negative amounts or debts when you’re subtracting numbers. When you first learned subtraction, your teacher might have said that when we subtract, we are “taking away” one number from another. For example, if you subtract 3 from 5, you take away 3 from 5, which leaves you with 2. Example: I need to remember to subtract my electric bill from my monthly budget.
Synonym Usage
Subtract, deduct express diminution in sum or quantity. To subtract suggests taking a part from a whole or a smaller from a larger: to subtract the tax from one's salary. To deduct is to take away an amount or quantity from an aggregate or total so as to lessen or lower it: to deduct a discount. Subtract is both transitive and intransitive, and has general or figurative uses; deduct is always transitive and usually concrete and practical in application.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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subtractsimple
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subtractssimple
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have subtractedperfect
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has subtractedperfect
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am subtractingprogressive
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are subtractingprogressive
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is subtractingprogressive
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have been subtractingperfect progressive
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has been subtractingperfect progressive
Past
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subtractedsimple
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had subtractedperfect
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was subtractingprogressive
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were subtractingprogressive
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had been subtractingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of subtract
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin subtractus (past participle of subtrahere “to draw away from underneath”), equivalent to sub- sub- + trac- (past participle stem of trahere “to draw”) + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
In math, when you subtract, you take one number away from another. If you subtract four from ten, you're left with six. You can also use subtract to mean "take away" in a more general sense, as in "If you subtract some of the salt from the recipe, the pasta will be healthier." When you're doing math, you know you're supposed to subtract if you see a minus sign. Subtracting gives you the difference between numbers, and you can see this in a real way when you subtract actual objects instead of numbers. If you have a dozen cupcakes and subtract ten of them, you have only two cupcakes left. The Latin root of subtract is subtrahere, "take away or draw off."
Vocabulary lists containing subtract
Number and Operations: Fractions
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Operations and Algebraic Thinking
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Measurement and Data
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Vinegar is firmly in the category of ingredients that are easier to add than subtract.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
If we subtract the dividend yield from the forward FCF yield, we can compare companies’ expected FCF “headroom.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
But none of this should subtract from the bigger takeaway.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
The Power Four — the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and ACC — plus the Big East comprise 79 schools and continue to add rather than subtract.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
I don’t know how to subtract without a pencil.
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
For starters, the policy rate is currently at the lower end of the estimated growth range for neutral, a level that neither stimulates or subtracts from growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
“The Accountant 2” subtracts everything that worked about the 2016 original, a marvelous romp that starred Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff, a neurodivergent numbers geek who freelances as an auditor and assassin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2025
Singleton said that if legislation subtracts from how he sees freedom and liberty, “then I’m there to stand in opposition to those things and push back.”
From Seattle Times ● May 10, 2024
“Italy says that immigration has to be managed at a European level, and now subtracts a part of this problem from the European debate,” he said.
From New York Times ● Jan. 29, 2024
Still, if one subtracts all the superstitious elements from the subject, there’s something appealing about the small residue that remains.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
But if you subtracted 1.5% a year for fund fees — which is what used to be normal — you’d end up with less than $17,500.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
And about $1 billion of any sale would be subtracted to cover the Dodgers’ future commitments on deferred contracts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Meanwhile longtime holdings like Fannie Mae and Universal Music Group subtracted from his performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The bureau also cited an increase in imports -- which are subtracted from GDP -- as a factor in Thursday's data.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
And when you write a check, the number you put in the little box gets subtracted from what you have.
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
Counting gains in volatile equities when they go up while subtracting everyday operating costs isn’t analysis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Gross profit is revenue without subtracting the cost of production expenses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
The net score is created by taking the total number of VAR interventions in a club's favour, and subtracting those that have gone against them.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
This is a non-GAAP metric that adds depreciation and amortization back to earnings, while subtracting gains from the sale of property.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 5, 2026
You can’t remove a three-acre swath from a two-acre field, but nothing prevents you from subtracting three from two.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
