deduction
gb/dɪdˈʌkʃən/ us/dɪdˈʌkʃən/
B1
English
~ 5300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
quantity
1
amount taken off a total
Money, points, or another amount that is taken away from a larger amount, for example from your pay or your score.
Usage pattern:
a deduction from [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "deduction" with "discount". A "deduction" is any amount taken off a total (for example, from your salary or your tax bill), while a "discount" is a special lower price offered to the customer. We usually say "a deduction from your salary" but "a discount on the price".
Synonyms
subtraction (More mathematical and general; not as commonly used for wages or bills in everyday speech.)
|
reduction (Broader and less precise; can mean making something smaller in many ways, not only by taking an amount off a total.)
Antonyms
addition (Refers to putting an amount onto a total, the opposite of taking an amount away.)
Collocations
tax deduction
|payroll deduction
|make a deduction
|deduction from wages
|standard deduction
|automatic deduction
Themes
business
|money
|law
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- After tax and insurance deductions, her paycheck was much smaller than she expected.
- There will be a deduction from your final bill if you pay before the end of the month.
- The referee made a two-point deduction for the foul.
- The company introduced an automatic deduction for employee pension contributions.
Learner examples
- There is a big deduction from my pay for taxes.
- We saw a small deduction on our phone bill this month.
- He got a five-point deduction on the test for spelling mistakes.
- After all the deductions, she took home less money.
Noun
B2
action
2
process of logical reasoning
The careful thinking process where you look at facts and rules and then decide what must be true.
Usage pattern:
by deduction, [someone] concludes that [clause]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes mix up "deduction" and "induction" in logic. "Deduction" usually means going from a general rule to a specific conclusion that must be true, while "induction" is going from specific examples to a general rule that might be true.
Synonyms
reasoning (Very close in meaning but more general; not limited to the specific logical method of deduction.)
|
inference (Emphasizes the act of reaching a conclusion; slightly more formal and academic.)
Antonyms
guesswork (Suggests deciding without enough facts or logical steps, the opposite of careful deduction.)
Collocations
logical deduction
|by deduction
|process of deduction
|use deduction
|deduction from the facts
Themes
thinking
|science
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Through careful deduction, the scientist identified the most likely cause of the problem.
- The detective relied on deduction rather than on chance discoveries.
- By deduction, we can say that someone must have entered through the back door.
- In math, deduction is used to prove that a statement must be true in all cases.
Learner examples
- The police used deduction to find the thief.
- With some deduction, you can solve this puzzle.
- She explained her deduction step by step.
- By deduction, he knew the answer before he checked it.
Noun
C1
entity
3
conclusion from logical reasoning
A decision or idea that you reach after thinking carefully about the facts.
Usage pattern:
to make a deduction about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "deduction" only for the thinking process and forget it can also mean the final conclusion. In this sense, you can say "make a deduction" or "your deduction is wrong", similar to "your conclusion is wrong".
Synonyms
conclusion (Very close in meaning; "deduction" stresses that the conclusion comes from logical steps.)
|
finding (Common in reports or studies; focuses on the result, not the thinking process.)
Antonyms
misconception (A wrong idea or conclusion, often from poor reasoning, opposite of a sound deduction.)
Collocations
make a deduction
|draw a deduction
|correct deduction
|brilliant deduction
|obvious deduction
Themes
thinking
|communication
|education
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- That was a clever deduction; I never would have connected those clues.
- Her deduction that the files were deleted on purpose turned out to be correct.
- From these numbers, the obvious deduction is that sales are falling.
- The judge said that the lawyer’s deduction was not supported by the evidence.
Learner examples
- His deduction was wrong, so the answer was not correct.
- My deduction is that she is not coming.
- This deduction is based on the facts we know.
- Your deduction makes sense to me.
Grammar
Dictionary form
deduction
IPA
GB/dɪdˈʌkʃən/
US/dɪdˈʌkʃən/
Syllables & stress
de - duc - tion (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (duc)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: deduction
- Plural: deduction, deductions
Word family
Forms
deductions
noun
Core family
deduct
verb B2
deductive
adjective
Related words
deductible
adjective
deductively
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
nondeductible
adjective
Expressions
by deduction
1/bˈaɪ dɪdˈʌkʃən/
fixed phrase
using logical reasoning to know
By thinking carefully about facts and rules to find what must be true.
Examples
- By deduction, we know the package must have arrived yesterday.
- She didn’t tell me directly, but I worked it out by deduction.
- The answer isn’t written there; you have to find it by deduction.
payroll deduction
1/pˈeɪɹˌoʊl dɪdˈʌkʃən/
fixed phrase
automatic amount taken from pay
Money taken from your pay by your employer, for example for tax, insurance, or retirement savings, before you get the rest.
Examples
- Her health insurance premium is paid through a payroll deduction.
- The company set up a payroll deduction so employees can donate to charity every month.
- Most of your taxes are collected by payroll deduction.
standard deduction
1/stˈændɚd dɪdˈʌkʃən/
fixed phrase
fixed general tax deduction
A basic fixed amount that many people can subtract from their income on a tax form instead of writing down many small tax deductions one by one.
Examples
- For many people, taking the standard deduction is easier than itemizing expenses.
- The government increased the standard deduction this year.
- They decided not to list all their costs and just claimed the standard deduction.
tax deduction
1/tˈæks dɪdˈʌkʃən/
fixed phrase
amount that lowers taxable income
An amount of money that the tax rules let you subtract from your income so you pay tax on a smaller amount.
Examples
- Childcare costs can sometimes qualify as a tax deduction.
- Make sure you keep your receipts so you can claim the tax deduction next year.
- Owning a home may give you extra tax deductions on your mortgage interest.