deduction

noun

di-ˈdək-shən How to pronounce deduction (audio)
Definition of deductionnext
1
as in reduction
something that is or may be subtracted contestants get a deduction from their scores for every incorrect guess

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2
as in subtraction
the act or an instance of taking away from a total the deduction of the amount awarded to the plaintiff in order to pay the legal fees

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3
as in inference
an opinion arrived at through a process of reasoning his impressive deduction of the correct answer from only a few hints

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deduction Or isn’t there a millionaire/billionaire around who could donate the money for a small tax deduction? — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026 The tax deductions proposed are $25,000 for all healthcare expenses, $50,000 on most down payments and $5,000 for spending related to healthy lifestyles. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026 The only punishment that would truly have hurt them would have been the kind of points deduction that other clubs have faced for, on the face of it, lesser offences. — Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 Paxton proposed a $50,000 deduction for first-time homebuyers and a $50,000 deduction on down payments for people moving to a new primary residence. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for deduction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deduction
  1. reduction
  2. subtraction
  3. inference
  4. discount
  5. determination
  6. conclusion
Noun
  • This strategic reduction highlights growing competition from open-weight models, compelling proprietary AI providers to lower costs.
    — Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The century-old Colorado River Compact says upper basin states cannot cause a reduction in the river's flow to the lower basin.
    — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduction
Noun
  • Offseason additions and subtractions The team dropped DJ Moore off to the Bills and took home a couple of solid draft picks.
    — David Troy, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Nearly every subtraction is an experiment, and nearly every experiment can be reversed.
    — Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of subtraction
Noun
  • And remember, enterprises are still very early in using inference at scale in their current production applications.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
  • In the middle of the barbell, Jassy said, are all the existing enterprise production workloads that could use AI inference but mostly aren’t yet.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of inference
Noun
  • Transit discounts are available for seniors, disabled and student riders.
    — Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Downtown and on-campus bookstores did similar clean outs, offering up to 70% discounts on Nike wares before pivoting quickly with pop-up adidas shops in July.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of discount
Noun
  • So harnessing the competitiveness and work rate which complemented a generational talent, the former striker went back to the drawing board with gritty determination.
    — Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • But engineers don’t have all the data in hand to make a final determination.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of determination
Noun
  • Cancy McArn, the district’s superintendent, sent a rebuttal letter Thursday to Gordon rejecting the county office’s conclusion that the new teachers’ union agreement would not provide enough financial relief to help the district avoid insolvency.
    — Chaewon Chung Updated July 31, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Those businesses may still be worth more together, but that conclusion can no longer be taken for granted.
    — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of conclusion

Browse Nearby Words

deducting
deduction
deductions
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Cite this Entry

“Deduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deduction. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on deduction

Nglish: Translation of deduction for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about deduction

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