Deduct

How to spell deduct

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce deduct

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does deduct mean?

1. verbTo take away or subtract an amount from a total.

Deduct in a sentence

• The payroll team will deduct tax before your salary is paid.

• You can deduct business expenses from your taxable income.

Where does deduct come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin deducere, meaning 'to lead away' or 'to draw down', formed from the prefix de-, meaning 'away' or 'down', and the verb ducere, meaning 'to lead'. The past participle of that verb was deductus, which gave English the form 'deduct' in the fifteenth century. The original sense was very literal, a leading or drawing away, and from that came the modern accounting idea of drawing an amount away from a total. The same ducere root sits at the heart of a large family of English words, including 'conduct' (to lead together), 'produce' (to lead forth), and 'reduce' (to lead back), all sharing that 'duct' spelling. Recognising that 'duct' really means 'lead' is a handy way to keep the firm 'ct' ending in mind and avoid writing it as 'deduckt' or 'deduc'.

How the word is built

• de- (away, from)
• duct (from Latin ducere: to lead or draw)