minus

From Latin minus, neuter form of minor, comparative form of parvus (“small, little”), from the Proto-Indo-European root *mey- (“few, small”).

• enPR: mīn-əs, IPA^(key): /ˈmaɪnəs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪnəs

minus

1. (mathematics) Made less or reduced by (followed by an expression of number or quantity). [from 15th c.]

   seven minus two is five

   Antonym: plus

2. (informal) Without; deprived of. [from 19th c.]

   I walked out minus my coat.

   Synonyms: lacking, without

minus (plural minuses)

1. (mathematics) The minus sign (−). [from 16th c.]
2. (mathematics) A negative quantity. [from 18th c.]
3. A downside or disadvantage. [from 20th c.]

• (defect or deficiency): defect, deficiency, drawback, flaw, shortcoming

• (minus sign): plus, plus sign
• (negative quantity): positive
• (defect or deficiency): advantage, bonus, boon, gain, plus

minus (not comparable)

1. Being a negative quantity; pertaining to a deficit or reduction. [from 18th c.]

   a minus number

2. That is below zero by (a specified amount) on a scale. [from 19th c.]

   minus seven degrees

3. (colloquial, obsolete) Worse off than before; out of pocket. [19th c.]
   • 1808–10, William Hickey, Memoirs of a Georgian Rake, Folio Society 1995, p. 301:

     The races being finished, we left Epsom for London, Mordaunt's natural vile temper not being at all improved by being three hundred pounds minus by the week's speculation […] .

4. (postpositive) Ranking just below (a designated rating). [from 19th c.]

   He got a grade of B minus for his essay.

• (negative): negative
• (on the negative part of a scale): below zero (after the noun)

minus (third-person singular simple present minuses, present participle minusing, simple past and past participle minused)

1. (transitive, colloquial) To subtract. [from 20th c.]
   • 2011, Laura Christine Bofferding, Expanding the Numerical Central Conceptual Structure:

     Four plus one is 5 and you go down because it's minusing, […]

• subtract
• subtraction

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024), “minus”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• “minus”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

• in sum, munis, simun

From Latin minus (“less”).

minus

1. minus

• Mirjejev, V. A.; Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎, Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN

Derived from Latin minus, from minor.

• IPA^(key): [ˈmiːnus]

minus

1. minus

minus m inan or n

1. minus

   Antonym: plus

when masculine:

Indeclinable when neuter.

• minus in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
• minus in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989
• minus in Internetová jazyková příručka

• IPA^(key): [ˈminus]
• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -inus
• Hyphenation: mi‧nus

minus

1. minus

   Antonym: plus

   Tri minus du estas unu. ― Three minus two is one.

   • 1961, Esperantologio, page 156:

     Ni povas principe eliri aŭ de la nominativa formo (finaĵo nul aŭ -s) aŭ de la genitiva formo (minus la finaĵo -os); […]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2008, Christian Declerck, Spitaj – kiel hidrargo, Antwerp: Flandra Esperanto-Ligo, →ISBN, page 85:

     ‘La universala estas la loka minus la muroj,’ diris Marteno.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

minus

1. minus
   • 1913, La Revuo, page 395:

     Ho mia Dio! la muro estas vertikala, eĉ negative kruta. La angulo kun la vertikalo estas minus kvin gradoj, ĉar mi ankoraŭ povas matematike pensi.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2015, Esteban Sánchez, Gramática Práctica del Esperanto, →ISBN, page 132:

     dek ok minus dudek estas minus du

     eighteen minus twenty is minus two

   • 2019, Sten Johansson, Ne eblas aplaŭdi unumane, New York, N.Y.: Mondial, →ISBN, page 41:

     La taga temperaturo kutime restadis inter minus dek kaj dek kvin gradoj, kion oni ĉi tie konsideris milda.

     The daytime temperature usually stayed between minus ten and fifteen degrees, which was considered mild here.

• IPA^(key): [ˈmiːnʊs]

• Audio

  (file)

minus

1. (mathematics) minus, less

   Synonym: weniger

   Antonym: plus

   vier minus drei ist eins. ― 4–3=1

• Minus

minus (not comparable)

1. less (used to form comparatives)

le minus

1. the least (used to form superlatives)

• plus

From Proto-Italic *minos. Related to minor.

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.nus/, [ˈmɪnʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.nus/, [ˈmiːnus]

minus

1. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular of minor

minus

1. comparative degree of parum (“very little, too few, not enough”)
2. comparative degree of paulum (“very little”)

   sīn minus/aliter/secus ― otherwise, if not

• “minus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• sin in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2024) Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
• “minus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• minus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)

From Latin minus.

minus

1. minus

• minustegn

• “minus” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “minus_1” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

From Latin minus.

minus

1. minus

• minusteikn

• “minus” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

• IPA^(key): /ˈmi.nus/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -inus
• Syllabification: mi‧nus

minus m inan

1. minus, minus sign

   Antonym: plus

• minus in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• minus in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Borrowed from Latin minus.

minus

1. minus

minus n (plural minusuri)

1. minus

mínus m (Cyrillic spelling ми́нус)

1. minus sign
2. minuns, defect, deficiency

minus n

1. minus sign, minus

minus

1. (mathematics) minus

   Tre minus två är ett.

   Three minus two is one.

• minusa

minus

1. inessive of minä