deduction

[ dih-duhk-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act or process of deducting; subtraction.
2. something that is or may be deducted:

   She took deductions for a home office and other business expenses from her taxes.

3. the act or process of deducing.
4. something that is deduced:

   His astute deduction was worthy of Sherlock Holmes.

5. Logic.
   1. a process of reasoning in which a conclusion follows necessarily from the premises presented, so that the conclusion cannot be false if the premises are true.
   2. a conclusion reached by this process. Compare induction ( def 4 ).

deduction

/ dɪˈdʌkʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of deducting or subtracting
2. something, esp a sum of money, that is or may be deducted
3. 1. the process of reasoning typical of mathematics and logic, whose conclusions follow necessarily from their premises
   2. an argument of this type
   3. the conclusion of such an argument
4. logic
   1. a systematic method of deriving conclusions that cannot be false when the premises are true, esp one amenable to formalization and study by the science of logic
   2. an argument of this type Compare induction

deduction

/ dĭ-dŭk′shən /

1. The process of reasoning from the general to the specific, in which a conclusion follows necessarily from the premises.
2. A conclusion reached by this process.

deduction

¹

1. A cost or expense subtracted from revenue , usually for tax purposes.

deduction

²

1. A process of reasoning that moves from the general to the specific. ( Compare induction .)

Other Words From

• nonde·duction noun
• prede·duction noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deduction¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English deduccioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin dēductiōn-, stem of dēductiō “a leading away”; deduct, -ion

Usage

The logical processes known as deduction and induction work in opposite ways. In deduction general principles are applied to specific instances. Thus, using a mathematical formula to figure the volume of air that can be contained in a gymnasium is applying deduction. Similarly, applying a law of physics to predict the outcome of an experiment is reasoning by deduction. By contrast, induction makes generalizations based on a number of specific instances. The observation of hundreds of examples in which a certain chemical kills plants might prompt the inductive conclusion that the chemical is toxic to all plants. Inductive generalizations are often revised as more examples are studied and more facts are known. If certain plants that have not been tested turn out to be unaffected by the chemical, the conclusion about the chemical's toxicity must be revised or restricted. In this way, an inductive generalization is much like a hypothesis.

Example Sentences

Tim Scott, a Republican senator from South Carolina, introduced the deduction, claiming it would help restaurants and restaurant workers who have been struggling since the beginning of the pandemic.

From Quartz

In other words, employers can claim a large portion of the cost of some AI up front as a tax deduction.

From MIT Technology Review

In addition to avoiding wage taxes, businesses can accelerate tax deductions for some AI when it has a physical component or falls under certain exceptions for software.

From MIT Technology Review

If you squeeze the last drop of deduction from the puzzle conditions, you won’t have too many trial-and–error candidates to search through.

From Quanta Magazine

In addition, the TCJA gives individuals several tax breaks—an increased child tax credit and standard deduction, for example—that are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025.

From Fortune

That would have involved overturning a 1977 Court decision that upheld automatic deduction of union dues.

From The Daily Beast

True, making an Item 24 deduction requires me to “Attach Form 2106.”

From The Daily Beast

The devil was predictably in the details, with a surcharge on the rich and a call to end the state and local tax deduction.

From The Daily Beast

Apparently, not much has really changed since Bill took a $2 tax deduction for each pair of underwear that he donated to charity.

From The Daily Beast

To my mind, this is why we should get rid of the corporate income tax--and the charitable tax deduction as well.

From The Daily Beast

This was considered by the Post-office Department as an average deduction of 53 per cent.

From Project Gutenberg

The amount so collected was to be paid to the tithe-owners, subject to a deduction of three per cent.

From Project Gutenberg

Does he prove that criminal procedure against the colonies would fail, by sign or by deduction?

From Project Gutenberg

The great conclusions are reached by the certain methods of elimination and deduction.

From Project Gutenberg

No more logical deduction was possible than this commencement of decentralization within the Prussian monarchy.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• abatement
• allowance
• credit
• discount
• rebate
• reduction
• tax write-off
• write-off