deduce

verb

de·​duce di-ˈdüs How to pronounce deduce (audio)
dē-;
 chiefly British  -ˈdyüs
deduced; deducing

transitive verb

1
: to determine by reasoning or deduction
deduce the age of ancient artifacts
She deduced, from the fur stuck to his clothes, that he owned a cat.
specifically, philosophy : to infer (see infer sense 1) from a general principle
2
: to trace the course of
deduce their lineage
deducible adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between deduction and induction?

Deductive reasoning, or deduction, is making an inference based on widely accepted facts or premises. If a beverage is defined as "drinkable through a straw," one could use deduction to determine soup to be a beverage. Inductive reasoning, or induction, is making an inference based on an observation, often of a sample. You can induce that the soup is tasty if you observe all of your friends consuming it. Read more on the difference between deduction and induction

What is the difference between abduction and deduction?

Abductive reasoning, or abduction, is making a probable conclusion from what you know. If you see an abandoned bowl of hot soup on the table, you can use abduction to conclude the owner of the soup is likely returning soon. Deductive reasoning, or deduction, is making an inference based on widely accepted facts or premises. If a meal is described as "eaten with a fork" you may use deduction to determine that it is solid food, rather than, say, a bowl of soup.

What is the difference between deduction and adduction?

Adduction is "the action of drawing (something, such as a limb) toward or past the median axis of the body," and "the bringing together of similar parts." Deduction may be "an act of taking away," or "something that is subtracted." Both words may be traced in part to the Latin dūcere, meaning "to lead."

Choose the Right Synonym for deduce

infer, deduce, conclude, judge, gather mean to arrive at a mental conclusion.

infer implies arriving at a conclusion by reasoning from evidence; if the evidence is slight, the term comes close to surmise.

from that remark, I inferred that they knew each other

deduce often adds to infer the special implication of drawing a particular inference from a generalization.

denied we could deduce anything important from human mortality

conclude implies arriving at a necessary inference at the end of a chain of reasoning.

concluded that only the accused could be guilty

judge stresses a weighing of the evidence on which a conclusion is based.

judge people by their actions

gather suggests an intuitive forming of a conclusion from implications.

gathered their desire to be alone without a word

Examples of deduce in a Sentence

I can deduce from the simple observation of your behavior that you're trying to hide something from me.
Recent Examples on the Web After reviewing the historical evidence, archaeologists deduced that the knight was probably Yeardley. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2024 The show had primed us for months for an unprecedented finale, and many viewers had deduced that would mean Jenn proposing to her man. Dylan Scott, Vox, 4 Sep. 2024 This time round, however, some might deduce that Messi has been overlooked because of not playing his league game in Europe anymore. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024 Walczak deduced that Fisher likely left the house shortly after the newspaper was mistakenly delivered and only had a few hours of a head start rather than the 10-plus hour lead police had estimated. Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 17 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deduce 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deduce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin deducere, literally, to lead away, from de- + ducere to lead — more at tow entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deduce was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near deduce

Cite this Entry

“Deduce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deduce. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

deduce

verb
de·​duce di-ˈd(y)üs How to pronounce deduce (audio)
deduced; deducing
1
a
: to draw a conclusion about particular facts or examples by applying them to a general rule or principle
b
: to determine by reasoning from a general rule or principle
2
: to trace the course or origin of
deducible adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on deduce

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