English · Word Candidate

minus

/ˈmaɪ.nəs/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: minuses · minusses · minusing · minussing

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Made less or reduced by (followed by an expression of number or quantity).

Preposition

Examples

Seven minus two is five.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Without; deprived of.

PrepositionRegister: informal

Examples

I walked out minus my coat.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

The minus sign (−).

Noun

Examples

On the third day a Master Barnard brings me up a slate full of plusses, minusses, x, y, z’s, and other letters of the alphabet, in a most amiable algebraical confusion.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

A negative quantity.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “minus” mean?

Made less or reduced by (followed by an expression of number or quantity).

Is “minus” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.