deductible

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

I have an insurance policy with a $1,000 deductible.

Recent Examples on the Web

Medigap policies are designed to help cover certain out-of-pocket costs that Original Medicare doesn't fully pay, including deductibles, coinsurance and copayments. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 9 June 2026

Due to the high cost of these disasters, many insurers charge a separate deductible for these claims. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 8 June 2026

Raising one's deductible is one way to lower monthly premiums, experts said. —Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 2 June 2026

Policies differ on coverage limits and deductibles. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 1 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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