Difference

The difference of two numbers is the number obtained when the lesser number is subtracted from the greater number.

The difference of 4 and 2 is: $4-2=2$

The difference of -3 and -9 is: Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle -3 - (-9) = 6 }

Another way of putting it, is that the difference is the absolute value of subtracting either number from the other.

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \left |4 - 2 \right | = \left |2-4 \right | = 2}

The number being subtracted is the subtrahend, the number being subtracted from is the minuend.