minus sign

Thân thiện

The teacher writes a minus sign on the chalkboard.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A sign indicating the operation of subtraction: The "minus sign" is the mathematical symbol "−" used to denote the operation of taking away one quantity from another, or to indicate a negative value.

Usage

• The "minus sign" is used in arithmetic and algebra.
• It is placed between two numbers to show subtraction (e.g., 5 − 2).
• It is placed before a single number to indicate a negative value (e.g., −10°C).
• It is distinct from the hyphen (-) and the en dash (–) in typography, though they may look similar.

Examples

• In subtraction:
• Indicating a negative number:
• In financial contexts:

Advanced Usage

• In set theory: The minus sign can denote the set difference (or relative complement) of two sets. For example, means the set of elements that are in A but not in B.
• In programming and spreadsheets: The minus sign is used as the subtraction operator in code and formulas (e.g., in Excel).

Variants and Related Words

• Minus (preposition/conjunction/adjective/noun): The word from which the sign derives. It can function as a preposition (), an adjective (), or a noun ().
• Subtraction sign: A less common synonym for "minus sign."
• Negative sign: Often used interchangeably with "minus sign" when indicating a negative value, though technically the "negative sign" is a unary operator, while the "minus sign" in subtraction is a binary operator.

Synonyms

• Subtraction symbol
• Negative sign (when denoting a negative value)

Related Phrases

• Plus-minus sign (±): A symbol meaning "plus or minus," used to indicate a margin of error or two possible values (e.g., 5 ± 2 kg).
• Minus function: Not a standard phrase for the sign itself, but refers to the operation it represents.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a sign indicating the operation of subtraction