date_subtract() — PostgreSQL date/time function

date_subtract(): subtract interval from timestamp with time zone. PostgreSQL date/time functions — signature, volatility, version applicability and an illustrative example.

The Sev-1 Admin
The Sev-1 Admin  ·  2 min read

Summary

date_subtract is a PostgreSQL built-in function in the Date/Time Functions group. PostgreSQL’s system catalog (pg_proc) describes it as: “subtract interval from timestamp with time zone”.

Signature

date_subtract has 2 documented overloaded forms:

date_subtract(timestamp with time zone, interval) → timestamp with time zone
date_subtract(timestamp with time zone, interval, text) → timestamp with time zone

Argument and return types are taken from the pg_proc catalog; internal type names are shown using their readable SQL spellings (for example int4 is shown as integer). (Derived from the catalog — see the linked reference for the canonical documentation.)

Classification

  • Category: Date/Time Functions
  • Kind: Function
  • Volatility: STABLE — Marked STABLE — within a single statement it returns a consistent result for the same arguments, but the result can change between statements.
  • Returns: timestamp with time zone

Example

Illustrative form (replace placeholder values with your own data):

SELECT date_subtract(TIMESTAMPTZ '2024-01-15 10:30:00+00', INTERVAL '1 day');

The example above is illustrative and is meant to show calling syntax only; consult the linked PostgreSQL documentation for exact semantics, edge cases and accepted argument combinations.

Version applicability

Based on the catalog across releases, date_subtract first appears in PostgreSQL 16. It is present in: 16, 17, 18, 19.

Related & references

Reference: PostgreSQL documentation — Date/Time Functions.