deductible

American  

[dih-duhk-tuh-buhl] / dɪˈdʌk tə bəl /

adjective

1. capable of being deducted.

2. allowable as a tax deduction.

   Charitable contributions are deductible expenses.

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noun

• deductibles
  plural

1. the amount for which the insured is liable on each loss, injury, etc., before an insurance company will make payment.

   The deductible on our medical coverage has been raised from $50 to $100 per illness.

deductible British  

/ dɪˈdʌktɪbəl /

adjective

1. capable of being deducted

2. short for tax-deductible

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noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): excess.  insurance a specified contribution towards the cost of a claim, stipulated on certain insurance policies as being payable by the policyholder

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• deductibility
  noun
• nondeductibility
  noun
• nondeductible
  adjective
• undeductible
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• deductibles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of deductible

First recorded in 1855–60; deduct + -ible

Explanation

Deductible can be the amount you have to pay before your health insurance kicks in, or it can mean an amount you can take off your taxes for various payments you have already made. Strange that one deductible can be so friendly and the other one so mean. The Latin deducere, meaning "to derive," eventually became the word deduct, meaning "to take away." In the mid-19th century, the word deductible was born, meaning something "may be deducted." As a noun, a deductible is something you pay, such as your insurance deductible. As an adjective, deductible describes something you can subtract from a total, usually from your taxes. Andy Warhol once said, “Employees make the best dates. You don't have to pick them up and they're always tax-deductible.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deductible deductibles

She’s paying $2,100 a month for health insurance with an $8,000 deductible that she already blew through at the start of the year when her 4-year-old son was hospitalized with asthma.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

Be careful: Long-term care costs are often deductible above a threshold of 7.5% of adjusted gross income.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Auto liability and medical claims may be closed without payment for a variety of reasons, including damage that falls below the deductible or an accident investigation that reveals those involved aren’t injured.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Because fund contributions don’t qualify for the non-itemizer deduction, and grants out of the fund aren’t deductible either.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

But it helps their image, it’s tax deductible, and the government backs off some.

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez

There would be no deductibles, co-pays or other forms of cost-sharing, except for some brand-name prescription drugs if generics are available.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

Over 500,000 people every year file for bankruptcy due to medical bills, and yet his suggestion to address the problem of high deductibles would be met with resistance.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

So, too, can deductibles, with higher average levels for a state likely to lead to more claims closed without payment, they added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

The estimate includes Medicare premiums, out-of-pocket prescription-drug costs and other medical expenses such as copayments, coinsurance and deductibles for doctor and hospital visits.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

The recent catastrophe cost the family a fortune in insurance deductibles.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman