Minus has 8 different meanings across 4 categories:
Noun · Adjective · Prep · Proper Noun
an arithmetic operation in which the difference between two numbers is calculated
"the subtraction of three from four leaves one"
"four minus three equals one"
The minus sign (−).
"The equation shows five minus three equals two."
To subtract.
"She added five to her score and then took two away by using minus three."
Being a negative quantity; pertaining to a deficit or reduction.
"The final score was calculated by taking the total points and subtracting minus five for the penalty."
In plain English: Minus means less than zero, indicating that something is below nothingness.
"The team finished with minus ten points after losing all their games."
Usage: Use minus as an adjective only before nouns, such as in "a minus balance," rather than after them like the adverbial phrase "less by." It specifically describes quantities that represent deficits or reductions, distinguishing it from general subtraction contexts where other terms may apply.
Made less or reduced by (followed by an expression of number or quantity).
"The original budget was minus five hundred dollars after paying for unexpected repairs."
A surname.
"The famous mathematician John Von Neumann once debated with a scholar named Minus about axiomatic set theory."
From Middle English mynus, from Latin minus, neuter form of minor, comparative form of parvus ("small, little"), from the Proto-Indo-European root *mey- ("few, small").