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

The One Big Beautiful Bill expanded health savings accounts eligibility to include these plans, providing a tax-free way to pay for medical expenses before meeting the deductible. —Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025

The Keith Kelley Club has a 501(c)(4) designation, meaning that donor contributions are not tax deductible, but the organization is allowed to engage in political activity. —Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2025

Noun

Raising your deductible is another way to lower monthly premiums. —Liz Knueven, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2025

Hundreds of dollars in costs Supporters of the bill estimate that even insured people deal with annual costs totaling $650 due to high deductibles. —David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2025

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