minus

American  

[mahy-nuhs] / ˈmaɪ nəs /

preposition

1. less by the subtraction of; decreased by.

   Ten minus six is four.

2. lacking or without.

   a book minus its title page.

---

adjective

1. involving or noting subtraction.

2. algebraically negative.

   a minus quantity.

3. less than; just below in quality.

   to get a C minus on a test.

4. Informal. having negative qualities or characteristics; inferior.

5. Mycology. (in heterothallic fungi) designating, in the absence of morphological differentiation, one of the two strains of mycelia that unite in the sexual process.

noun

minuses plural

1. minus sign.

2. a minus quantity.

3. a deficiency or loss.

4. Informal. a person or thing with no apparent abilities, usefulness, etc..

   The last applicant was a definite minus.

minus British  

/ ˈmaɪnəs /

preposition

1. reduced by the subtraction of

   four minus two (written 4 – 2)

2. informal deprived of; lacking

   minus the trimmings, that hat would be ordinary

---

adjective

1. 1. indicating or involving subtraction

      a minus sign

   2. Also: negative.  having a value or designating a quantity less than zero

      a minus number

2. on the negative part of a scale or coordinate axis

   a value of minus 40°C

3. involving a disadvantage, harm, etc

   a minus factor

4. (postpositive) education slightly below the standard of a particular grade

   he received a B minus for his essay

5. botany designating the strain of a fungus that can only undergo sexual reproduction with a plus strain

6. denoting a negative electric charge

noun

1. short for minus sign

2. a negative quantity

3. a disadvantage, loss, or deficit

4. informal something detrimental or negative

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• minuses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of minus

1300–50; Middle English < Latin, neuter of minor less; see minor

Explanation

Use the word minus to mean "less" or "with the subtraction of." When it's minus fifteen degrees outside, it's fifteen below zero — or fifteen degrees less than zero. Whenever you talk about negative numbers, whether they relate to temperature or your bank account, the adjective minus always applies. If you have minus fifty dollars in the bank, you're below zero on the money scale. You can also use minus as noun, to mean "subtraction," or a subtraction mark: "Put a minus in front of that three before you add the columns." Minus means "less" in Latin, and it's closely related to minor, or "smaller."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

minus minuses

GfK said its U.K. consumer-confidence barometer rose six points to minus 17 in July, marking the largest increase since November 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The cost of goods minus food and energy, another critical inflation barometer, fell for the second month in a row in another bit of good news.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

Readers who might be unaware of this facility should imagine an amusement park minus the fun and whimsy.

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026

It was conducted June 11-18 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

It’s the same crew of hornets and surftards that hang out at The Spot, minus the older guys like Fry and Zephyr and Big Foot, who’re probably downstairs.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

That’s a slight pullback from March, and the underlying data had both pluses and minuses.

From Barron's ● May 5, 2026

"The plusses outweigh the minuses," Maguire told BBC Sport.

From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2026

Looking further ahead, they weigh the pluses and minuses of retiring early or late and pros and cons of pursuing and exploring a new postretirement job or career.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025

When minuses exceed pluses, up to $3,000 in losses can be deducted from taxable income.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2025

Mr. Ibis pushed his lower lip upward, then let his head bob from side to side, as if it were on a spring, weighing the pluses and minuses, seeing things from both points of view.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman