Definition
Minuend
The minuend is the number or expression that another is subtracted from.
What it means
Read subtraction from left to right. The minuend is the amount you begin with before taking away or comparing the subtrahend. Its position matters because swapping the two values usually changes the result.
Remember it
Minuend comes first: it is the amount being made smaller.
Example
In 52 − 19 = 33, 52 is the minuend because 19 is subtracted from 52.
Watch for
In a written subtraction expression, the minuend is a role, not always the larger number; 5 − 8 still has minuend 5.
Common mix-up
Do not call the answer the minuend. The answer to a subtraction is the difference.
Exact meaning
In a subtraction expression a − b, a is the minuend: the starting value from which the subtrahend b is subtracted.