Deductive

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /dɪˈdʌktɪv/

Definitions

1. Involving a reasoning method that transitions from universal truths to particular cases
2. Related to a logical framework that concludes based on overarching principles applied to individual situations
3. Pertaining to an approach of thinking that derives specific conclusions from broad, general statements

Etymology: "Deductive" is formed from "deduct" plus the suffix "-ive," which turns a verb's action into a quality, so a deductive argument is one that works by drawing conclusions from something. The verb "deduct" itself goes back to Latin "deducere," meaning "to lead down" or "to lead away," built from "de-" (down or away) and "ducere" (to lead). The sense of leading something down or away is still visible when we deduct money from a total: we lead a quantity away from the whole. The suffix has a longer journey than the verb. It descends from a Latin ending "-ivus" that passed into Old French as "-if" and then into Middle English as "-yf," before English settled on the modern "-ive." That chain of spellings is why English words ending in "-ive" often look like they came straight from Latin, while many arrived through French first.

Synonyms: inferential, logical

Antonyms: inductive