deduce

verb

de·​duce di-ˈdüs 

dē-;

 chiefly British  -ˈdyüs

deduced; deducing

transitive verb

1

: to determine by reasoning or deduction

deduce the age of ancient artifacts

She deduced, from the fur stuck to his clothes, that he owned a cat.

specifically, philosophy : to infer (see infer sense 1) from a general principle

2

: to trace the course of

deduce their lineage

deducible

di-ˈd(y)ü-sə-bəl 

dē-

adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between deduction and induction?

Deductive reasoning, or deduction, is making an inference based on widely accepted facts or premises. If a beverage is defined as "drinkable through a straw," one could use deduction to determine soup to be a beverage. Inductive reasoning, or induction, is making an inference based on an observation, often of a sample. You can induce that the soup is tasty if you observe all of your friends consuming it. Read more on the difference between deduction and induction

What is the difference between abduction and deduction?

Abductive reasoning, or abduction, is making a probable conclusion from what you know. If you see an abandoned bowl of hot soup on the table, you can use abduction to conclude the owner of the soup is likely returning soon. Deductive reasoning, or deduction, is making an inference based on widely accepted facts or premises. If a meal is described as "eaten with a fork" you may use deduction to determine that it is solid food, rather than, say, a bowl of soup.

What is the difference between deduction and adduction?

Adduction is "the action of drawing (something, such as a limb) toward or past the median axis of the body," and "the bringing together of similar parts." Deduction may be "an act of taking away," or "something that is subtracted." Both words may be traced in part to the Latin dūcere, meaning "to lead."

Synonyms

• conclude
• decide
• derive
• extrapolate
• gather
• infer
• judge
• make out
• reason
• understand

Choose the Right Synonym for deduce

infer, deduce, conclude, judge, gather mean to arrive at a mental conclusion.

infer implies arriving at a conclusion by reasoning from evidence; if the evidence is slight, the term comes close to surmise.

from that remark, I inferred that they knew each other

deduce often adds to infer the special implication of drawing a particular inference from a generalization.

denied we could deduce anything important from human mortality

conclude implies arriving at a necessary inference at the end of a chain of reasoning.

concluded that only the accused could be guilty

judge stresses a weighing of the evidence on which a conclusion is based.

judge people by their actions

gather suggests an intuitive forming of a conclusion from implications.

gathered their desire to be alone without a word

Examples of deduce in a Sentence

I can deduce from the simple observation of your behavior that you're trying to hide something from me.

Recent Examples on the Web

Since stars typically form in pairs or triplets, rather than a single star, scientists deduced that binary star systems were orbiting near the black hole, Peissker said. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 17 Dec. 2024

In the hospital, Dexter deduces that Harry’s worsening condition is due to the deadly care of Nurse Mary, whom his father then instructs Dexter to kill. —Hunter Ingram, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024

Given Kai-Ming’s clear connections with Maggie and Philip, and with her late father being the only local person likely to be looking for her in a caring, non-murder-y way, Helen deduces that Kai-Ming is at the center of the whole mess. —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024

But Han deduced the spider launches its web in response to the vibrations of airborne insect wings. —Ari Daniel, NPR, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin deducere, literally, to lead away, from de- + ducere to lead — more at tow entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

deduce

verb

de·​duce di-ˈd(y)üs 

deduced; deducing

1

a

: to draw a conclusion about particular facts or examples by applying them to a general rule or principle

b

: to determine by reasoning from a general rule or principle

2

: to trace the course or origin of

deducible

-ˈd(y)ü-sə-bəl 

adjective