Subtraction - Definition and Examples

Subtraction is one of the four basic operations in arithmetic. The other operations are addition, multiplication, and division. 

Subtraction is a way of finding the difference between two numbers. This is done by taking one number away from another number. 

For example, if we take 4 away from 10 to get 6, we write the subtraction as

10 - 4 = 6

You can also say that the difference between 10 and 4 is 6.

Why do we need subtraction?

Subtraction usually helps us answer the following questions:

• How many more are there?

• How much more is there?

• How many are left?

• How much is left?

• How many fewer are there

• How much fewer is there?