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Definition minus in British English

minus adjective, preposition

adjective, preposition
/ˈmaɪnəs/

Minus can be used in the following ways:

as a preposition: Seventeen minus nine is eight.The Scottish team will be minus two of its best players.

as an adjective: The teacher gave me a C minus.

1

used in mathematics for showing that you are taking one number from another. This word is usually represented by the symbol -

Example

72 minus 5 equals 67.

Synonyms and related words
2

used before a number to show that a number or temperature is less than zero

Example

The temperature fell to minus 15 degrees last night.

Example

Subtract ten from seven and the answer is minus three.

Example

If you subtract 12 from 10, the result will be a minus quantity.

Synonyms and related words
3

without something that you had in the past or usually have

Example

Anthony returned to work minus his beard.

Example

The Dempster family arrived back in England safely but minus their luggage.

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4

used for describing a disadvantage or negative quality of something

Example

One of the minus points was the risk of getting caught.

Synonyms and related words
Definition minus in British English