WordValededuce
to reach a conclusion by reasoning
In more detail
1. (verb) to reach a conclusion or determine something by using logic and information you already know
2. (verb) to subtract or take away an amount from a total
Examples
- 1. From the evidence at the scene, the detective was able to deduce who the culprit was.
- 2. The company will deduce taxes from your monthly salary.
How to use deduce
Deduce is used when drawing logical conclusions from evidence or facts; it emphasizes the reasoning process more than mere guessing. In its second meaning, it is a formal or financial term meaning to subtract or deduct, though deduct is more commonly used for this sense in modern English. The first meaning is more frequent in academic and intellectual contexts.
Common phrases
- deduce that
- deduce from
- can be deduced
- it can be deduced that
- deduce the answer
Synonyms
infer · conclude · determine · reason · extract
Word family
deduction · deductive · deducible
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse deduce with deduct; deduce means to reason logically and reach a conclusion, while deduct means to subtract or remove an amount from a total.
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