1
: a negative quantity
2
: a negative quality
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
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
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
The most recent figure puts him at minus 18 points, a new low for his second term.
—Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Charlie Gile, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Adebayo closed with a plus/minus of plus-27 and Herro was a plus 18.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
As things stand with a dozen matches still to play, Wednesday are on course to finish the season with a minus points total, seven of the 18 points deducted for breaches of financial rules last autumn yet to be reclaimed by a team who have scored just twice since Boxing Day.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for minus
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Preposition
These pharmacy-only locations, the first of which opened last year in Birmingham, Alabama, will consist of full-service pharmacies that both fill prescriptions and offer an assortment of over-the-counter products - minus the rest of the corner store supply typically seen at CVS locations.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
The most recent figure puts him at minus 18 points, a new low for his second term.
—Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
When the clock finally ticks down to T-minus 0, the booster will ignite and lift off.
—Charlie Gile, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Adebayo closed with a plus/minus of plus-27 and Herro was a plus 18.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The Adebayo/Ware pairing was a minus 10 in the first half on Friday but was on the floor together during the decisive 11-2 run in the fourth and for much of the quarter.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
As things stand with a dozen matches still to play, Wednesday are on course to finish the season with a minus points total, seven of the 18 points deducted for breaches of financial rules last autumn yet to be reclaimed by a team who have scored just twice since Boxing Day.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for minus
Cite this Entry
“Minus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minus. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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
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