plus-minus sign

noun

the symbol ±, meaning "plus or minus", used to indicate the precision of an approximation (as in "The result is 10 ± 0.3", meaning the result is anywhere in the inclusive range from 9.7 to 10.3), or as a convenient shorthand for a quantity with two possible values of opposing sign and identical magnitude (as in "The roots of the equation x²-4=0 are ±2").

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Meanings

nounplus-minus sign (plural plus-minus signs)

plural plus-minus signs

  1. mathematicsthe symbol ±, meaning "plus or minus", used to indicate the precision of an approximation (as in "The result is 10 ± 0.3", meaning the result is anywhere in the inclusive range from 9.7 to 10.3), or as a convenient shorthand for a quantity with two possible values of opposing sign and identical magnitude (as in "The roots of the equation x²-4=0 are ±2").
Cite this entry
APA

plus-minus sign. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plus-minus%20sign

MLA

“plus-minus sign.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plus-minus%20sign. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “plus-minus sign,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plus-minus%20sign.

Source: plus-minus sign on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.