addition and plus share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. addition means “a component that is added to something to improve it”. plus means “a useful or valuable quality”. plus is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈdɪʃən/
1.n.a component that is added to something to improve it
“the addition of a bathroom was a major improvement”
2.n.the act of adding one thing to another
“the addition of flowers created a pleasing effect”
3.n.a quantity that is added
“there was an addition to property taxes this year”
/ˈplʌs/
1.n.a useful or valuable quality
2.n.the arithmetic operation of summing; calculating the sum of two or more numbers
“the summation of four and three gives seven”
3.adj.on the positive side or higher end of a scale
“a plus value”
| addition | plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈdɪʃən/ | /ˈplʌs/ |
| Said | uh-DISH-uhn | pluhs |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Letters | 8 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun | noun, adjective |
| Senses | 6 | 4 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | add-on, improver | asset |
Full entry for addition · Full entry for plus · More comparisons