deduct
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Synonym Usage
See subtract.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deduct
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin dēductus “brought down, withdrawn,” past participle of dēdūcere; see deduce
Explanation
To deduct is to remove or take away some amount. If your boss deducts money from your paycheck because you're always late to work, she subtracts it. When taxes are withheld from your salary, your employer deducts them to pay your contribution. Each time you use a debit card, it deducts the amount you spend from your bank account. A different way to deduct is to come to a reasoned, thoughtful conclusion, or to deduce. The two words were once interchangeable, while now it's more common to use deduct to mean "remove a portion," and deduce to mean "infer logically."
Vocabulary lists containing deduct
Lead the Way: Duc and Duct
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de-
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: duc, duct
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This means, for example, they can deduct the cost of investment in developing projects against tax and carry forward those credits against future profits.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
Let’s run through three options if you are not eligible to deduct the contribution: remove it, recharacterize it or leave it in the IRA.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026
You can’t deduct the contributions when you make them: You contribute with after-tax dollars, like with a Roth.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
Under the new rules, that person wouldn’t be able to deduct $5,000 of their 2026 donation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
He tells me what I can deduct on my income tax return.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
