deduce

verb

de·​duce di-ˈdüs 

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

di-ˈd(y)ü-sə-bəl 

dē-

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."

Synonyms

• derive
• understand
• decide
• infer

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

If the cat is beside a cake with candles, computer vision may deduce that the cat is celebrating its birthday. —Michael Jaszczyk, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025

In other, arguably more significant developments, the Croat deduced that Negan had squashed the Dama’s pet rat and attacked the Saviors’ former leader with Lucille 2.0. —Charlie Mason, TVLine, 8 June 2025

But analysts say the main points are easy to deduce from public statements by Mr. Putin and other Russian leaders. —Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2025

There doesn’t even need to be a threat at all, in the sense that if the AGI computationally deduces that there is some value in blackmailing people, go ahead and do so. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025

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

Rhymes for deduce

• abstruse
• abuse
• adduce
• atreus
• caboose
• cayuse
• conduce
• diffuse
• disuse
• excuse
• footloose
• induce

Kids Definition

deduce

verb

de·​duce di-ˈd(y)üs 

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

-ˈd(y)ü-sə-bəl 

adjective