mi·nus
ˈmī-nəs 
1
: algebraically negative
a minus quantity
minus ten degrees
2
: having a negative quality
3
: relating to or being a particular one of the two mating types that are required for successful fertilization in sexual reproduction in some lower plants (such as a fungus)
4
: falling low in a specified range
B minus
Synonyms
Examples of minus in a Sentence
Preposition
He left the restaurant minus his hat.
a fruit that looks like a peach, minus the fuzz
Noun
She decided that the pluses of owning a home outweighed the minuses.
Some employers see a lack of experience as a real minus.
Put the minus to the left of the number.
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 16 Dec. 2024
Anything below minus 4 signals the market is oversold, which is usually my cue to put some money to work.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024
David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024
Even more worrisome is James’s individual plus/minus, which is -6.0, nearly three times as worse as his previous career low, -2.1 in 2022.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024
Rich Thompson, Boston Herald, 9 May 2024
And in October, that financial foundation was indeed strong for the economy-powering consumer: Personal income shot up 0.6%, the largest monthly increase since March; and disposable income (income minus taxes) was up 0.7% in nominal terms and 0.4% when taking inflation into account.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for minus 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Preposition
Here are the average breath-hold times (BHT), plus and minus standard deviations, for the five holds:
This progression is partly a result of the spleen’s extra red blood cells in action.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 16 Dec. 2024
Anything below minus 4 signals the market is oversold, which is usually my cue to put some money to work.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
James was the only member of South Bay who played more than 14 minutes to post a positive plus/minus.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024
Even more worrisome is James’s individual plus/minus, which is -6.0, nearly three times as worse as his previous career low, -2.1 in 2022.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
Sorry, Charlie Montgomery fielded a number of inquiries about the disturbing subpar play of defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who logged a below average 18:36 minutes and was a minus two in the loss.
—Rich Thompson, Boston Herald, 9 May 2024
And in October, that financial foundation was indeed strong for the economy-powering consumer: Personal income shot up 0.6%, the largest monthly increase since March; and disposable income (income minus taxes) was up 0.7% in nominal terms and 0.4% when taking inflation into account.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for minus
Dictionary Entries Near minus
Cite this Entry
“Minus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minus. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
minus
1 of 3 preposition
mi·nus
ˈmī-nəs
1
: with the subtraction of : less
7 minus 4 is 3
2
: without entry 1 sense 3a
minus his hat
minus
2 of 3 noun1
: a negative quantity
2
: a negative quality
especially
: disadvantage entry 1 sense 2b
minus
3 of 3 adjective1
: mathematically negative
4 plus minus 3
2
: falling low in a specified range
a grade of C minus
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share