as in approximately
close to but not exactly
I have plus or minus five dollars in change
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Recent Examples of plus or minus
The margin of error was plus or minus 3%, with a 95% confidence interval.
—
Emily Dreibelbis, PCMAG, 9 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2023
For the third quarter, the company guided for revenue of $2 billion, plus or minus $150 million.
—Kathryn Hardison, WSJ, 26 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for plus or minus
Emily Dreibelbis, PCMAG, 9 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2023
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 27 through Feb. 1, 2023, among a random national sample of 1,003 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points among the full sample and a larger error margin among subgroups.
—Scott Clement, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2023
For the third quarter, the company guided for revenue of $2 billion, plus or minus $150 million.
—Kathryn Hardison, WSJ, 26 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for plus or minus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plus or minus
Adverb
-
The earthquake's epicenter was approximately 4 miles west of Cobb and occurred at a depth of 1 mile.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Out of the 10% to 15% of couples worldwide who experience infertility, male factors cause or contribute to approximately 45% of those cases, data shows.—
Shiv Sudhakar,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The Caspian Sea, between Europe and Asia, is only about a third as salty as the open ocean and has a number of endemic species, including a little seal with no ears.—
Rosa Lyster,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The average age of these nuclear reactors is about 42 years old.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Viewed from certain perspectives—the perspective of history, the perspective of the roughly one quarter of the world that was once colonized by Britain—London is a metropolis built on crime.—
Mark O’Connell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Last month, Chinese news outlets began reporting drops of roughly seventy-five per cent in micro-drama crews in Hengdian.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The charity has around 450 members, after more than 100 joined last year.—
Irenie Forshaw,
TheWeek,
27 Apr. 2026
-
After a few days of awkward deflections and a viral PR shutdown, Paige Bueckers finally addressed the topic everyone has been dancing around — her romantic relationship with Azzi Fudd.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plus or minus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plus%20or%20minus. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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