What does subtrahend mean?
A subtrahend is the number or quantity being taken away in a subtraction. In the expression 9 − 4 = 5, the minuend is 9, the subtrahend is 4, and the result is the difference, 5. The word is especially associated with school mathematics and formal technical writing, although the idea is used whenever one quantity is removed from another. It is worth knowing because it gives a precise name to a role that is often described informally as “the number being subtracted.” The related term “minuend” names the number from which the subtraction is made, making the two words complementary parts of the terminology of arithmetic.
nounA number or quantity that is to be subtracted from another number or quantity. In the subtraction problem 9 − 4 = 5, 4 is the subtrahend.
- A number or quantity that is subtracted from another number or quantity in a subtraction operation.
"In 12 − 7 = 5, the number 7 is the subtrahend."
"The teacher asked the class to identify the minuend and the subtrahend in the equation."
"In the expression 30 − 12, 12 is the subtrahend and 18 is the difference."
The plural is used when referring to subtrahends in multiple subtraction problems or calculations.
"The exercise asks students to name the minuend and subtrahend in each equation."
Every subtraction problem has a subtrahend: the number that gets taken away.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does subtrahend come from?
The word comes from the Latin subtrahendus, a gerundive form of subtrahere, meaning “to draw away” or “to subtract.” In Latin, sub- contributed the sense of removal from below or away, while trahere meant “to draw” or “to pull.” English borrowed the mathematical noun in the 19th century, alongside the already established verb “subtract” and the related noun “subtraction.”
How subtrahend is actually used
This is primarily formal mathematical terminology. It is more common in educational contexts than in everyday conversation, where people usually say “the number being subtracted” instead.
Easily confused with subtrahend
The minuend is the number from which another number is subtracted, while the subtrahend is the number being subtracted.