Deduction, n.
Etymology: [L. deductio: cf. F. déduction.]
1. Act or process of deducing or inferring. The deduction of one language from another. Johnson. This process, by which from two statements we deduce a third, is called deduction. J. R. Seely.
2. Act of deducting or taking away; subtraction; as, the deduction of the subtrahend from the minuend.
3. That which is deduced or drawn from premises by a process of reasoning; an inference; a conclusion. Make fair deductions; see to what they mount. Pope.
4. That which is deducted; the part taken away; abatement; as, a deduction from the yearly rent.
1 more senses
Syn. -- See Induction.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for deduction; he lists it under demonstration, induction.
Where he writes about it:
Deduction is reasoning from the general to the particular; induction is reasoning from the particular to the general. — from induction
Deduction proceeds from a general principle through an admitted instance to a conclusion. — from induction
The proof of an induction is by using its conclusion as the premise of a new deduction. — from induction
Thus what is ordinarily known as scientific induction is a constant interchange of induction and deduction. — from induction
In deduction, if the general rule is true, and the special case falls under the rule, the conclusion is certain; induction can ordinarily give no more than a probable conclusion, because we can never be sure that we have collated all instances. — from induction
Antonyms
none given