Minuend

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈmɪnjʊˌɛnd/

Definitions

1. A quantity that serves as the starting point in a subtraction problem, establishing the initial value from which another amount is deducted
2. In arithmetic, it is the value that is reduced by another figure during the process of subtraction
3. A specific numeric value that is diminished by another number in a subtraction equation, acting as the original quantity

Etymology: In arithmetic, the minuend is the number you subtract from: in 9 − 4, it is the 9. The term comes from Latin "minuendus," meaning "something to be diminished," the future-passive form of "minuere," "to lessen." That is also the source of "minus," the Latin word for "less," which appears in the subtraction sign itself. The word is a gerundive, a verbal adjective expressing necessity or obligation, so its literal sense is something that must be made smaller. Latin grammarians and mathematicians used it in this way, and the English term follows the same pattern as "subtrahend," the number being taken away, which comes from Latin "subtrahendus," "to be subtracted."