Meaning
To reach (a conclusion) by applying rules of logic or other forms of reasoning to given premises or known facts.
Etymology
Origin: Middle English
From Late Middle English deducen (“to demonstrate, prove, show; to argue, infer; to bring, lead; to turn (something) to a use; to deduct”), borrowed from Latin dēdūcere, the present active infinitive of dēdūcō (“to lead or bring out or away; to accompany, conduct, escort; (figuratively) to derive, discover, deduce”); from dē- (prefix meaning ‘from, away from’) + dūcere (the present active infinitive of dūcō (“to conduct, guide, lead; to draw, pull; to consider, regard, think”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to lead; to draw, pull”)).
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 16 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-08-16CBDELOU
- 2026-07-01ECDHIPU
- 2026-05-05CABDENU
- 2026-03-23UCNLHED
- 2025-12-22UCNLKED
- 2025-07-23CDUIETV
- 2025-04-23UCLEDIT
- 2025-03-27CDPUOEL
- 2024-12-21UCONEDF
- 2024-08-22UCKEDHN
- 2024-06-24CDPUHEI
- 2024-06-12CAULDEB
+4 earlier appearances in the archive.