deduce

Q: 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.

Q: 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."

verb

de·duce di-ˈdüs

dē-;

chiefly British -ˈdyüs

deduced; deducing

Synonyms of deduce next

transitive verb

: 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

: 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."

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

New Eden is not the only thing that will fall if Nima’s forces take Big Alice, but the world itself will fall — remember, Melanie deduced that the Gemini compound will literally burn the atmosphere and deplete all oxygen from the planet. —

Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2024 Rio immediately identifies this to be Agatha’s trial, deducing that her worst nightmare — apart from having to embody this preppy ’80s aesthetic — would be facing up to any of the many deaths she’s caused over the centuries. —

Caroline Framke, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024 The hypothesized hand is deduced from betting patterns of the opponents, which include bluffs. —

Jim Euchner, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 Documents say law enforcement deduced the plate had been stolen to conceal the driver’s identity. —

Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deduce

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of deduce was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Deduce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deduce. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

deduce

verb

de·duce di-ˈd(y)üs

deduced; deducing

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

: to determine by reasoning from a general rule or principle

: to trace the course or origin of

deducible

-ˈd(y)ü-sə-bəl

adjective

Last Updated: 28 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

victuals

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

deduce

verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Synonyms

Examples of deduce in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near deduce

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition