Meaning & use
subtraction
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The mathematical process of taking one number or amount away from another.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the operation in general; can be countable when referring to a specific instance.
Patterns
- subtraction of something from something
- do subtraction
Subtraction is one of the basic operations in arithmetic.
The teacher explained subtraction using apples.
We practiced subtraction problems in class.
nouncountable or uncountable
An act of removing something from a whole.
Grammar: Often used with 'of' to show what is removed.
Patterns
- subtraction of something from something
The subtraction of funds from the budget caused problems.
The subtraction of certain rights was criticized.
This subtraction from the original plan changed everything.
Word forms
| plural | subtractions |
|---|
Common combinations
- subtraction problem
- The students solved a subtraction problem.
- do subtraction
- Can you do subtraction with large numbers?
- subtraction sign
- The subtraction sign is a minus.
Synonyms and how they differ
- deduction
- Deduction often means subtracting an amount from a total, especially in finance; subtraction is the general mathematical term.
- removal
- Removal means taking something away physically; subtraction is usually about numbers.
Opposites
Word family
- subtract verb
- To take one number away from another.
- subtractive adjective
- Relating to subtraction; often used in color mixing.
Commonly confused: subtraction or substraction?
subtraction vs substraction
Substraction is a misspelling; the correct word is subtraction.
Practice
Which operation is the opposite of addition?
Choose one answer.
Subtraction is the inverse of addition. Multiplication and division are different operations.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “subtraction”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.