What does subtracting mean?
Subtracting is the action of taking one quantity away from another, usually by subtracting the smaller number from the larger. In everyday use, it can also mean removing or discounting one element from a total: a company may subtract delivery costs from sales, or a reader may subtract background assumptions from an argument. The word is neutral and common in school mathematics, accounting, finance, science, and general discussion, though the noun “subtraction” is usually preferred when referring to the mathematical operation itself. “Subtract” is the standard dictionary form, while “subtracting” is its present participle and is used after an auxiliary verb, with “to,” or in gerund constructions. Subtraction is especially useful because it makes explicit how two quantities relate through difference rather than merely comparing them. Its history is equally vivid: the word derives from Latin subtrahere, literally “to draw away underneath,” which links ancient calculation with an image of taking something down from a larger whole.
verbTo remove one quantity from another, typically by calculating the difference between them; more broadly, to take away or deduct an amount.
- To calculate the difference between two quantities by removing one from the other.
- To remove, deduct, or discount one element from a total or broader amount.
"The cashier mistakenly subtracted the tax twice, so the total came out too low."
"The cashier mistakenly subtracted the tax twice, so the total came out too low."
"Before approving the budget, the committee subtracted projected maintenance costs from projected revenue."
Subtracting comes from a vivid image: Latin sub- (“under”) plus trahere (“to draw”), meaning to draw something away from a larger whole.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does subtracting come from?
Subtracting is the present participle of subtract. Subtract entered English in the early 17th century from Latin subtrahere, “to draw away underneath,” formed from sub- (“under”) and trahere (“to draw”). The “-ing” form follows the ordinary English pattern for verbs in progress.
Related word forms
How subtracting is actually used
The form “subtracting” is standard in ordinary English and is used with “to,” after an auxiliary verb, or in gerund constructions. In technical and formal writing, “subtraction” is often preferred when naming the mathematical operation itself.
Easily confused with subtracting
Subtract is the base verb, while subtracting is its present participle, as in “She is subtracting the costs.”