subtraction
Americannoun
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an act or instance of subtracting.
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Mathematics. the operation or process of finding the difference between two numbers or quantities, denoted by a minus sign (−).
noun
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the act or process of subtracting
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a mathematical operation in which the difference between two numbers or quantities is calculated. Usually indicated by the symbol (–)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of subtraction
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin subtractiōn- (stem of subtractiō ) a withdrawing, equivalent to subtract ( us ) ( see subtract) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
In math, subtraction is when you take one number away from another number. In other words, the subtraction of two from five gives you an answer of three. In school, subtraction is typically the second operation you learn in arithmetic, after addition. When a problem has you take four apples away from eight apples, that's subtraction. If you see the word minus, or the symbol -, that's also subtraction. The word itself comes from the Late Latin subtractionem, "a drawing back or taking away," from subtrahere, "take away," which combines sub, "from under," and trahere, "to pull."
Vocabulary lists containing subtraction
Arithmetic
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The Number System
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The Number System
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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.
Award-winning Iranian filmmaker Mani Haghighi’s noir thriller, Subtraction, is set to screen Saturday at the prestigious London Film Festival.
From Washington Post • Oct. 15, 2022
Subtraction, it is worth noting, is a quality seldom seen in fashion since the glory days of Jil Sander and Helmut Lang.
From New York Times • Jun. 29, 2021
Manziel and Dwayne Bowe are no longer Browns and can definitely be placed in the Addition By Subtraction category.
From The Guardian • Apr. 20, 2016
The analytical techniques presented in Vector Addition and Subtraction: Analytical Methods are ideal for finding vector components.
From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015
Mr. Fabian writes on the board: Multiplication and Division are always evaluated before Addition and Subtraction.
From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
