How Do You Spell MINUS?

Pronunciation: [mˈa͡ɪnəs] (IPA)

The word "minus" is spelled with the letters M-I-N-U-S. The IPA phonetic transcription of this word is /ˈmaɪ.nəs/. In this transcription, the "M" represents the sound made by pressing the lips together and then releasing, while the "I" represents the long "I" sound as in "eye". The "N" is pronounced with the tongue pressing against the alveolar ridge, and the "U" is pronounced with the lips slightly rounded. Finally, the "S" sound is made with a hissing noise created by the tongue pressing against the alveolar ridge.

MINUS Meaning and Definition

  1. Minus is a term used to indicate subtraction or a negative quantity in mathematics. It is primarily a mathematical operator denoted by the symbol "-". When used in the context of arithmetic operations or equations, minus signifies the action of deducting one quantity from another to find the difference between them. For example, in the expression "5 minus 3", the minus operator is employed to subtract 3 from 5, resulting in a difference of 2.

    Minus also has an additional meaning as an adjective to describe a numerical value that is less than zero, or a negative number. It denotes values on the left side of zero on the number line. For instance, -3 is a negative number or a minus value.

    Furthermore, minus can function as a preposition or a conjunction in certain contexts. As a preposition, it indicates exclusion or the absence of something. For instance, "Everyone is invited to the party, minus John" suggests that all individuals are welcome except John. As a conjunction, minus signifies an exception or exclusion in a sentence. For example, "I enjoy all types of music, minus country." In this case, the person is expressing a fondness for all genres except country music.

    Overall, minus serves as a mathematical operation to signify subtraction, an adjective representing negative values, and a preposition/conjunction to indicate exclusion or exception.

  2. In arith. and alg., the sign of subtraction, thus (-), which, placed between two quantities, means that the latter is to be subtracted from the former.

    Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Top Common Misspellings for MINUS *

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for MINUS

Etymology of MINUS

The word "minus" originated from the Latin word "minus", which means "less" or "too little". This Latin term is derived from the earlier Latin word "minuere", meaning "to lessen" or "to diminish". Over time, this term was borrowed into medieval Latin as "minus" and eventually integrated into various European languages, including English, in the same or similar form.

Idioms with the word MINUS

  • plus or minus The definition of the idiom "plus or minus" is to indicate an approximate amount, allowing for a certain degree of margin of error or uncertainty. It is often used in situations where the exact amount is not known but is estimated to be within a specific range.

Similar spelling words for MINUS

Plural form of MINUS is MINUSES

Infographic

Add the infographic to your website: