Definition
Subtrahend
The subtrahend is the number or expression subtracted from the minuend.
Continue from this idea into connected AXIO math.
Defining relationship
Subtrahend comes after the minus sign: it is what gets subtracted.
In a subtraction expression a − b, b is the subtrahend: the value being subtracted from the minuend a.
- 1minuend
- 2minus sign
- 3subtrahend
- 4difference
The subtrahend is the amount after the minus sign—the amount taken away.
What it means
Read subtraction from left to right. The subtrahend comes after the minus sign and tells how much is taken away or compared with the starting value. Its position matters because subtraction is not commutative.
Remember it
Subtrahend comes after the minus sign: it is what gets subtracted.
Example
In 52 − 19 = 33, 19 is the subtrahend because it is subtracted from 52.
Watch for
The subtrahend is a role in the written subtraction; it can be larger than the minuend, as in 5 − 8.
Common mix-up
Do not call the first number the subtrahend. The first number is the minuend.
Exact meaning
In a subtraction expression a − b, b is the subtrahend: the value being subtracted from the minuend a.