deductible

1 of 2

adjective

de·​duct·​ible di-ˈdək-tə-bəl 

dē-

: allowable as a deduction

expenses that are deductible from taxable income

deductibility

di-ˌdək-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

dē-;

noun

deductible

2 of 2

noun

plural deductibles

: the amount of financial loss specified in an insurance policy that the insurer will not be held responsible for and that the insurance holder must pay

The deductible on your insurance is the amount of money on an insurance claim you would pay before the insurance company pays. It's what you'll be paying out of pocket prior to the insurance coverage.

—Steve Fiorillo

also : a clause in an insurance policy that relieves the insurer of responsibility for an initial specified loss of the kind insured against

Examples of deductible in a Sentence

Adjective

The trip was deductible as a business expense.

Noun

I have an insurance policy with a $1,000 deductible.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Among employers offering health benefits to workers, 31% offered a high-deductible plan paired with an HSA in 2025, up from 4% in 2005, according to KFF, a health policy research group. — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026

The Tax Court wasn’t convinced that those payments directly related to his business, and Copeland pointed to case precedent standing for the proposition that TV channel and cable subscriptions often aren’t deductible. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Noun

As insurance deductibles have risen in recent years, more hospitals and doctors have turned to litigation. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026

High-deductible plans carry deductibles of at least $1,700 for individuals and $3,400 for families in 2026, according to the IRS. — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1856, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1922, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deductible

• tax-deductible

Rhymes for deductible

• indestructible
• ineluctable
• nondeductible

Legal Definition

deductible

1 of 2 adjective

de·​duc·​ti·​ble di-ˈdək-tə-bəl 

: allowable as a deduction

deductibility

-ˌdək-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

deductible

2 of 2 noun

: a clause in an insurance policy that relieves the insurer of responsibility for an initial specified loss of the kind insured against

also : the amount specified in such a clause compare franchise sense 4a