Meaning & use
repeated subtraction
A method of dividing numbers by subtracting the same value over and over until nothing or less than that value remains.
See it in a sentence
Using repeated subtraction, twelve divided by four takes three subtractions to reach zero.
Teachers often introduce division to young students through repeated subtraction before formal methods.
A note on using this word
Repeated subtraction helps students understand division conceptually before they learn the standard division algorithm.
Words with a similar meaning
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