Deduct
/dɪˈdʌkt/
Definitions
To subtract or take away an amount or quantity from a total.
/dɪˈdʌkt/
To take away or subtract (something) from a total.
The cashier will deduct the coupon from the total price.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're buying a pizza. If you have a coupon, they will deduct the coupon amount from your bill to make the final price lower. That's what 'deduct' means – to make something smaller by taking something away!
👶 For kids: To take something away from a bigger amount.
More Examples
We can deduct the shipping costs from the final bill.
You should deduct the expenses from your income.
How It's Used
"You can deduct business expenses from your taxes."
"Deduct 5 from 10 to get 5."
"The company will deduct the cost from your salary."
From Latin *dēductus*, past participle of *dēdūcere* 'to lead down, take away', from *dē-* 'down, away' + *dūcere* 'to lead'.
Historically used in accounting and legal contexts to indicate a subtraction or decrease in value or amount.
Memory tip
Think of deducting money from a bank account – the amount decreases.
Word Origin
"To lead down, take away"