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

In addition, the wages are fully deductible as a business expense, reducing both income tax and self-employment tax exposure. —Medora Lee, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026

Figuring out just how much is deductible isn’t simple. —Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026

Noun

Unfortunately, fewer than one-third of insurers cover GLP-1 medications for weight loss, and Americans who pay cash for the drugs can’t count those costs toward their insurance deductibles. —Alison Sexton Ward, Boston Herald, 15 Mar. 2026

Cheaper monthly bills, higher deductibles Even as Oz argues that there are millions of Americans who should not be eligible for ACA plans, the administration is taking steps to bring more people into the program. —Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 9 Mar. 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