write-off

1 of 2

noun

1
: an elimination of an item from the books of account
2
a
: a reduction in book value of an item (as by way of depreciation)
b
: a tax deduction of an amount of depreciation, expense, or loss
3
chiefly British : something (such as a damaged vehicle) or someone regarded or conceded as a loss

write off

2 of 2

verb

wrote off; written off; writing off; writes off

transitive verb

1
: to eliminate (an asset) from the books : enter as a loss or expense
write off a bad loan
2
: to regard or concede to be lost
most were content to write off 1979 and look optimistically aheadMoney
also : dismiss
was written off as an expatriate highbrow Brendan Gill

Examples of write-off in a Sentence

Verb most critics have already written off that director as a hack incapable of turning out anything but schlock that one blunder will write off to nothing all the goodwill we've been building up
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Hollywood Reporter first broke the news Nov. 10 that Warner Bros. intended to shelve Coyote vs. Acme for a tax write-off. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 Tax write-offs are incentives that the United States government gives to business owners for running a business, since your business is helping grow the economy. Barbara Schreihans, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Like previous rounds, this latest write-off is a $1.2 billion campaign expenditure, one that doesn’t have to come out of the Biden campaign’s $56 million in cash reserves, or be raised with donation drives. Thomas Knapp, Orange County Register, 22 Feb. 2024 Nimona — which has LGBTQ themes that Disney executives wanted to downplay — seemed destined to become a tax write-off before Ellison scooped it up. Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024 Although the 2017 change in the tax law made more payments to the government nondeductible, payments of restitution are generally still fair game for tax write-offs. Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Thanks to the mortgage interest deduction, filers who choose to itemize their tax returns rather than take the standard deduction can deduct the entirety of their home interest payments in addition to taking other write-offs. Rob Wile, NBC News, 27 Jan. 2024 Minx initially premiered on Max (then HBO Max) back in 2022, and the streaming platform greenlit the show for a second season, which was only a few days from wrapping production when Warner Bros. Discovery unceremoniously canceled it as a tax write-off. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 5 Jan. 2024 And a year later, as tank write-offs approached 2,000—two-thirds of Russia’s pre-war force—even T-55s from the late 1950s. David Axe, Forbes, 9 Feb. 2024
Verb
For instance, last week IRS leadership said the agency will start up dozens of audits on businesses’ private jets and how they are used personally by executives and written off as a tax deduction. Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024 To begin with, the rules cover only government payments, and some companies find ways to write off even the biggest payments. Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Your state will determine your ability to write off home-office expenses. Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, Chinese industry analysts aren’t writing off Apple from the car realm quite yet. Mary Hui, Quartz, 28 Feb. 2024 It’s written off at least one of 28 M-55S, at least eight of 40—soon, 54—Leopard 2A4s, at least five of 21 Leopard 2A6s, the single Strv 122 out of 10 as well as one of 31 M-1s. David Axe, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Both Firth and Hugh Grant battled for Jones’ affections in the first two films, though Grant’s character was written off (presumed dead, later found alive, off-screen) and replaced by another man, played by Patrick Dempsey, in the third. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 26 Feb. 2024 Private jet John and Joanna French won their case in 1990 to write off their private jet on their 1984 taxes. Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 Her character was written off the show in June 2023. Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'write-off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of write-off was in 1678

Dictionary Entries Near write-off

Cite this Entry

“Write-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/write-off. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

write off

verb
1
: to take off the books : enter as a loss or expense
write off a bad debt
2
: to consider to be lost
the candidate has already written off the southern states
also : dismiss sense 3
wrote off my losing as bad luck

Legal Definition

write-off

1 of 2 noun
ˈrīt-ˌȯf
1
: the elimination of an asset or amount due from the books
2

write off

2 of 2 transitive verb
1
: to eliminate (an asset) from the books : enter as a loss or expense
write off a bad loan
2
: to use as a deduction in calculating taxable income
write off the cost as a business expense

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