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
wrote off; written off; writing off; writes off
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
MoneySynonyms
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 WebAimee Picchi, CBS News, 16 July 2024
The only dispute with a further write-off is who goes first.
—Roger Barris, Foreign Affairs, 17 July 2015
Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Washington Post, 22 July 2024
The Spokane County Board of County Commissioners discussed writing off the unpaid debt and reducing the interest rates on other loans to 0% during Tuesday’s briefing session.
—Tim Clouser | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for write-off 
Noun
That's useful because such write-offs can lead to paper losses that allow landlords to offset income from rent, for example.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 16 July 2024
The only dispute with a further write-off is who goes first.
—Roger Barris, Foreign Affairs, 17 July 2015
Verb
She was written off after her disastrous 2019 presidential bid but got a reprieve with her selection — and largely successful performance — as Biden’s running mate.
—Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Washington Post, 22 July 2024
The Spokane County Board of County Commissioners discussed writing off the unpaid debt and reducing the interest rates on other loans to 0% during Tuesday’s briefing session.
—Tim Clouser | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for write-off
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'write-off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near write-off
Cite this Entry
“Write-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/write-off. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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