subtract

[ suhb-trakt ]
See synonyms for: subtractsubtractedsubtracting on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to withdraw or take away, as a part from a whole.

  2. Mathematics. to take (one number or quantity) from another; deduct.

verb (used without object)
  1. to take away something or a part, as from a whole.

Origin of subtract

1
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

synonym study For subtract

1, 3. 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.

Opposites for subtract

Other words from subtract

  • sub·tract·er, noun
  • un·sub·tract·ed, adjective

Words Nearby subtract

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How to use subtract in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for subtract

subtract

/ (səbˈtrækt) /


verb
  1. to calculate the difference between (two numbers or quantities) by subtraction

  2. to remove (a part of a thing, quantity, etc) from the whole

Origin of subtract

1
C16: from Latin subtractus withdrawn, from subtrahere to draw away from beneath, from sub- + trahere to draw

Derived forms of subtract

  • subtracter, noun

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