write-off

1 of 2

noun

ˈrīt-ˌȯf 

1

: an elimination of an item from the books of account

2

a

: a reduction in book value of an item (as by way of depreciation)

b

: a tax deduction of an amount of depreciation, expense, or loss

3

chiefly British : something (such as a damaged vehicle) or someone regarded or conceded as a loss

write off

2 of 2

verb

wrote off; written off; writing off; writes off

transitive verb

1

: to eliminate (an asset) from the books : enter as a loss or expense

write off a bad loan

2

: to regard or concede to be lost

… most were content to write off 1979 and look optimistically ahead.

—Money

also : dismiss

… was written off as an expatriate highbrow.

—Brendan Gill

Synonyms of write-off

Verb

• dismiss
• minimize
• diminish
• dump on
• run down
• play down
• talk down

Examples of write-off in a Sentence

Verb

most critics have already written off that director as a hack incapable of turning out anything but schlock

that one blunder will write off to nothing all the goodwill we've been building up

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ever the sassy songwriter, Musgraves handles these specters like a pro with witty write-offs. —Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026

Likewise, Andy’s story starts when a magnate shutters her current job at a newspaper called the New York Vanguard, firing her and her colleagues for a $500-million tax write-off. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026

Verb

Throwing the acceptance letter in the trash, Jackman wrote off the idea of being able to attend—but the very next day, a $3,500 check serendipitously came in the mail from his grandmother’s will. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 May 2026

What multiple doctors had written off as dry skin was, in fact, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that starts in white blood cells called T cells and primarily affects the skin, according to the Cleveland Clinic. —Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for write-off

• cerenkov
• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff

Kids Definition

write off

verb

1

: to take off the books : enter as a loss or expense

write off a bad debt

2

: to consider to be lost

the candidate has already written off some states

also : dismiss sense 3

wrote off my losing as bad luck

Legal Definition

write-off

1 of 2 noun

ˈrīt-ˌȯf

1

: the elimination of an asset or amount due from the books

2

: tax write-off

write off

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to eliminate (an asset) from the books : enter as a loss or expense

write off a bad loan

2

: to use as a deduction in calculating taxable income

write off the cost as a business expense