deductible

1 of 2

adjective

de·​duct·​ible di-ˈdək-tə-bəl How to pronounce deductible (audio)
dē-
: allowable as a deduction
expenses that are deductible from taxable income
deductibility 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
After wavering a bit in the 1864 legislation (which did not allow a deduction for federal income taxes), lawmakers in 1865 explicitly provided that all national taxes would be deductible. Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025 Some policies may even show up as deductible expenses. Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
Commercial insurance markets seem to have increased prices and deductibles while reducing coverage, which underscores systemic changes within the industry. Jason Phillips, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025 What’s more, it’s projected that employees’ deductibles and out-of-pocket co-payments will increase substantially next year, too, adding several hundreds of dollars more to American workers’ healthcare tab. Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deductible

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1856, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deductible was in 1856

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Cite this Entry

“Deductible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deductible. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Legal Definition

deductible

1 of 2 adjective
de·​duc·​ti·​ble di-ˈdək-tə-bəl How to pronounce deductible (audio)
: allowable as a deduction
deductibility 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

More from Merriam-Webster on deductible

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