Word
deduct
US/dɪˈdəkt/
UK/dɪdˈʌkt/
Finance
Definition
v. to take away an amount or a part from a total. You often see this when money is taken out of a paycheck for taxes.
v. to subtract an amount or portion from a total sum. Often used in financial or mathematical contexts to describe the removal of specific costs or taxes.
Examples
“The store will deduct ten dollars from the original price.”
“Employers are required by law to deduct income tax and social security contributions directly from their employees' monthly wages.”
“When calculating your taxable income, you may be eligible to deduct certain business expenses, effectively reducing the total amount on which you owe tax to the government.”
Examples
simple
“The store will deduct ten dollars from the original price.”
contextual
“Employers are required by law to deduct income tax and social security contributions directly from their employees' monthly wages.”
complex
“When calculating your taxable income, you may be eligible to deduct certain business expenses, effectively reducing the total amount on which you owe tax to the government.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object representing the amount being removed.
Pitfall
They deducted from my salary the tax.
They deducted the tax from my salary.
The direct object (the amount) should immediately follow the verb before the prepositional phrase.
Real-World Examples
“True to form it will deduct 10 points from Everton and Forest.” “Men and women worked in his factory for two weeks and received only a few dollars pay after deducting rent.” Etymology
Borrowed from Latin deductus, perfect passive participle of verb deducere (“lead from”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/deduct