minus
- 01 A2 Elementary
prep.used to show that one number is being taken away from another.
prep.denoting subtraction or the reduction of one quantity by another.
Simple“Seven minus three equals four.”
In context“The final invoice total was the gross amount minus the initial deposit paid last month.”
UsageFunctions as a preposition; the result of the operation is called the 'difference'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
prep.not having something; missing a part.
prep.deprived of or lacking a specific element or accompaniment.
Simple“He returned from the beach minus his sunglasses.”
In context“The team arrived at the presentation minus their lead designer, who had been delayed by a cancelled flight.”
Teacher's tipThis usage is common in spoken English to describe accidental loss or humorous absence.
- 03 B1 Intermediate
n.a bad point or a disadvantage of a situation.
n.a negative quality, drawback, or disadvantage.
Simple“The house is beautiful, but the long commute is a big minus.”
In context“When weighing the job offer, she considered the high salary a plus, but the lack of remote work options was a significant minus.”
Synonyms - 04 B1 Intermediate
n.the sign (−) used in math to show subtraction or negative numbers.
n.the mathematical character or symbol representing the operation of subtraction or a negative value.
Simple“You forgot to put a minus in front of the number.”
In context“The student consistently confused the hyphen with the minus sign in his calculus homework.”
Synonymsminus signdashAntonymsplus sign - 05 A2 Elementary
adj.used to describe temperatures or numbers that are less than zero.
adj.pertaining to a quantity less than zero on a specific scale.
Simple“The temperature dropped to minus ten degrees last night.”
In context“The company reported a minus figure for the third quarter, indicating a net loss rather than a profit.”
UsageIn temperature, 'minus' is usually placed before the number.
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.used after a letter grade to show it is slightly lower than that grade.
adj.ranking just below a designated letter grade or rating.
Simple“She was disappointed to get a B minus on her essay.”
In context“The credit agency downgraded the country's rating from A to A minus following the economic crisis.”
UsageAlways placed immediately after the noun or grade it modifies.
Antonyms
Usage minus degrees
From Middle English mynus, from Latin minus, neuter form of minor, comparative form of parvus (“small, little”), from the Proto-Indo-European root *mey- (“few, small”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.