Definition
Repeated subtraction
Repeated subtraction removes the same amount again and again to count equal groups.
What it means
Start with the total and remove one equal group at a time. Count the removals. From 18, subtract 4 four times: 18 → 14 → 10 → 6 → 2. Four groups of 4 fit and 2 remain, so 18 ÷ 4 = 4 remainder 2.
Remember it
Make the same jump backward, count the jumps, then notice what remains.
Example
How many groups of 6 fit into 30? Calculate 30 − 6 = 24, 24 − 6 = 18, 18 − 6 = 12, 12 − 6 = 6, and 6 − 6 = 0. Five equal subtractions reach zero, so 30 ÷ 6 = 5.
Watch for
This directly models “how many groups?” division. It does not by itself show the different action in a “how many in each group?” sharing problem.
Common mix-up
Stop when the amount left is smaller than the group size; that leftover is the remainder, not another full group.
Exact meaning
Repeated subtraction is a sequence that subtracts the same positive amount from a total. In whole-number grouping division, the number of subtractions counts how many groups of that size fit, and any amount smaller than one full group is recorded as a remainder.