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DictionaryRoot: de-
Latin

de-

down, away; removal

Forms

  • de-
  • dé- — French spelling in words borrowed from French.

Origin

Latin de, ‘down from; away from’; its deeper ancestry is uncertain.

Note

The prefix can also strengthen an action without suggesting downward movement.

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noun

deduction

The removal of an amount from a total, or the amount removed.

A deduction for health insurance reduces each employee's take-home pay.

Etymology
deLatindown, away; removal
+ducLatinlead, guide, draw along
+tionLatinan action, process, or result

Latin de- and ducere express leading away. A deduction leads an amount away from the total, leaving a smaller remainder and also naming the amount removed.

More examples

  • This tax deduction lowers your taxable income.
  • Each incorrect answer results in a two-point deduction.
  • After all deductions, her weekly pay is $650.

Forms

deduction · deductions

deduct verb — To take an amount from a total.

Similar words

subtraction
Names the arithmetic operation rather than the amount removed.
reduction
Means any decrease, not necessarily an amount explicitly subtracted.