deduce

[dih-doos, -dyoos]

See more synonyms for deduce on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), de·duced, de·duc·ing.

to derive as a conclusion from something known or assumed; infer: From the evidence the detective deduced that the gardener had done it.
to trace the derivation of; trace the course of: to deduce one's lineage.

Origin of deduce

1520–30; < Latin dēdūcere to lead down, derive, equivalent to dē- de- + dūcere to lead, bring

Related formsde·duc·i·ble, adjectivede·duc·i·bil·i·ty, de·duc·i·ble·ness, nounde·duc·i·bly, adverbnon·de·duc·i·ble, adjectivesub·de·duc·i·ble, adjectiveun·de·duced, adjectiveun·de·duc·i·ble, adjective

Can be confusedadduce deduce inducededuce deductdeducible deductible

Synonyms for deduce

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1. conclude, reason, gather, determine.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for deduce

glean, deduct, presuppose, infer, surmise, draw, derive, ratiocinate, consider, figure, conclude, assume, conceive, gather, regard, collect, reason, deem, fancy, presume

Examples from the Web for deduce

Contemporary Examples of deduce

A shriek of glee briefly broke out across the Web as inquiring minds tried to deduce who was the lucky lady.
My Bizarre Night With James Deen, Libertarian Porn Star
Emily Shire
November 12, 2014
From this it was possible to deduce that the airplane hit the ocean whole, and at what speed.
MH17 Is the World’s First Open-Source Air Crash Investigation
Clive Irving
July 22, 2014
In fact, we are left to deduce the content of her letters to him from his responses to her.
The Struggles of Benjamin Franklin’s Sister Jane
Annette Gordon-Reed
November 21, 2013
They want the jury to deduce that it was a sort of habitual foreplay employed by the popular coach.
Jerry Sandusky Trial, Day Three: The Defense Gets Steamrolled
Diane Dimond
June 14, 2012
The greatest gift is our own eyes, sense of smell, and abilities to deduce.
Patricia Cornwell Talks New Book, 'Red Mist,' Forensics, and Angelina Jolie
Janice Kaplan
December 13, 2011

Historical Examples of deduce

If you deduce a good Providence from the good things in nature, what do you make of the evil?
The Stark Munro Letters
J. Stark Munro
I deduce that a lot of my sweetness has been wasted on the desert air.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, March 1930
Various
It was not given to him to deduce from his splendid work the results to which they were destined to lead.
Great Astronomers
R. S. Ball
Now, from this fact, the philosopher will at once deduce the climate of this region.
Old Mackinaw
W. P. Strickland.
Or could you deduce from the existence of frontal horns that the animal ruminates?
Form and Function
E. S. (Edward Stuart) Russell

British Dictionary definitions for deduce

deduce

verb (tr)

(may take a clause as object) to reach (a conclusion about something) by reasoning; conclude (that); infer
archaic to trace the origin, course, or derivation of

Derived Formsdeducible, adjectivededucibility or deducibleness, noun

Word Origin for deduce

C15: from Latin dēdūcere to lead away, derive, from de- + dūcere to lead

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for deduce

early 15c., from Latin deducere "lead down, derive" (in Medieval Latin, "infer logically"), from de- "down" (see de-) + ducere "to lead" (see duke (n.)). Originally literal; sense of "draw a conclusion from something already known" is first recorded 1520s, from Medieval Latin. Related: Deduced; deducing.