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
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
Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025
Velvety-soft hands minus the stickiness or the greasy feel.
—Denise Primbet, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2025
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey have been together for just five of those last 15 games, with a cumulative plus/minus of minus-5.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Selina Guevara, NBC News, 16 Feb. 2025
In 1994, a two year old girl in Saskatchewan wandered out of her house and into a minus 40 degree night.
—Outside Online, 19 Feb. 2025
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
According to Cooley, come July, there will hardly be any sign of cicadas minus the holes in the ground and the eggs in the trees.
—Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025
Velvety-soft hands minus the stickiness or the greasy feel.
—Denise Primbet, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
Ware closed Monday’s loss with two points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field and 0-of-2 shooting on threes, five rebounds, three assists and one block while posting a negative plus/minus of minus 12 in 23 minutes.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey have been together for just five of those last 15 games, with a cumulative plus/minus of minus-5.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
Elsewhere, bone-chilling cold was expected for the Northern Plains with low temperatures into the minus 30s near the Canadian border.
—Selina Guevara, NBC News, 16 Feb. 2025
In 1994, a two year old girl in Saskatchewan wandered out of her house and into a minus 40 degree night.
—Outside Online, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for minus
Cite this Entry
“Minus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minus. Accessed 20 Mar. 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