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# subtraction

«subtraction» in Mova's school dictionary: **taking one number away from another to find what is left…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (subtraction, uncountable; a subtraction, subtractions)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Subtraction is taking one number away from another to find what is left or the difference. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/subtraction/#m1)

2) A subtraction is one sum where you take away: "do these ten subtractions". [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/subtraction/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In school maths, subtraction is shown by the minus sign (−): 9 − 4 = 5. The answer is called the difference. Words that often mean subtraction in word problems: take away, minus, less, fewer, how many more, how many left, difference, change (money). Subtraction is the inverse (opposite) of addition. Phrases: subtraction sum, column subtraction, subtraction with exchanging (borrowing).

### examples

- Subtraction is the opposite of addition. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/subtraction/#x1)
- 15 − 6 = 9 is a subtraction. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/subtraction/#x2)
- I had 10 sweets and ate 3; subtraction tells me 7 are left. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/subtraction/#x3)
- We practised column subtraction today. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/subtraction/#x4)
- What is the difference between 20 and 12? Use subtraction: 8. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/subtraction/#x5)
- Check your subtraction by adding the answer back. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/subtraction/#x6)
- The change from 5 dollars after spending 3 dollars 40 is found by subtraction. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/subtraction/#x7)

### note

Verb: subtract (not "subtrack"). In subtraction, order matters: 9 − 4 is not the same as 4 − 9. The number you take away from comes first. "Borrowing" (USA) = "exchanging" or "regrouping" (UK).

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «subtraction» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/subtraction/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.