Main Entry:

de·tract

Pronunciation:

\di-ˈtrakt, dē-\

Function:

verb

Etymology:

Middle English, from Latin detractus, past participle of detrahere to pull down, disparage, from de- + trahere to draw

Date:

15th century

transitive verb1archaic : to speak ill of2archaic : to take away3: divert <detract attention>intransitive verb: to diminish the importance, value, or effectiveness of something —often used with from<small errors that do not seriously detract from the book>

— de·trac·tor \-ˈtrak-tər\ noun