plus-minus

plus or minus

1. Indicating a margin above and below a certain level. The margin of error is plus or minus three points, so we're still comfortably ahead of the national average. As the report is outside of the plus or minus 2 percent tolerance threshold, the bank has decided not to go through with the deal.
2. Approximately; roughly. There were maybe 20 people there, plus or minus. You'll need plus or minus 200 feet of cable if you want to reach the other side of the house.
3. With or without. Used especially in reference to medical treatments. Our current go-to treatment is a full course of chemotherapy, plus or minus an antiemetic depending on patient tolerance.
See also: minus, plus
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

plus-minus

more or less; roughly. South African
1992 Weekend Post He expected ‘plus-minus’ 1000 files would eventually be forwarded for ‘possible prosecution’.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • minus
  • plus or minus
  • by a wide margin
  • a miss is as good as a mile
  • miss is as good as a mile
  • miss is as good as a mile, a
  • be cutting it fine
  • lose by
  • a notch above
  • notch above
References in periodicals archive
Today's Chanakya too forecast about 123 seats for the Congress, with a plus-minus of 12.
However, Today's Chanakya has stuck out its neck to say that the Congress would have it easy with 125 seats (plus-minus 12 seats) while the BJP is expected to get about 103 (plus-minus 12).
Much-watched Assembly poll results in 5 states to be out tomorrow
It has a sampling error margin of plus-minus 2.5 percent for national percentages, plus-minus 4 percent for Balance Luzon, and plus-minus 6 percent each for Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao.
SWS: More Filipinos await better life, economy in 2018
Student and faculty views of plus-minus grading systems.
Student and faculty perceptions of plus/minus grading and its effect on course grade point averages
It has sampling error margins of plus-minus 2.5 percent for national percentages, plus-minus 4 percent for Balance Luzon, and plus-minus 6 percent each for Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Self-rated poor Filipinos increase in Q3 survey-SWS
The Plus-Minus grade policy was adopted by the Faculty Assembly, the Academic Provost, and the Board of Trustees of the College and was implemented in the fall of 2004.
The advent of plus-minus grading had no effect on the average grade earned by students at the college.
Student and Faculty Perceptions of the Impact of Plus-Minus Grading: A Management Department Perspective.
Plus/minus grading: a within instructor comparison
It has a sampling error margin of plus-minus 3 percent for national percentages, plus-minus 4 percent for Balance Luzon, and plus-minus 6 percent for the rest of the areas.
SWS: Most Filipinos believe not all summoned for Oplan Tokhang are addicts, pushers