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

Improvements to your personal residence usually aren’t deductible because they’re considered capital improvements that raise the home’s value.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026

With Plan G, the only out-of-pocket cost that enrollees are responsible for is the Plan B deductible, which is $283 for 2026.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

The insurer told her the hail damage—to guttering and copper on the roof—tallied just $2,000, well below her policy’s deductible.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

That includes losses below a deductible, claims not pursued by customers or claims later reopened and paid, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

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

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez