Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "write-off" []

  • A cancellation of an item in account books. (noun)
  • The amount canceled or lost. (noun)
  • Accounting A reduction or depreciation of the entered value of an item. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "write-off" in a sentence
  • "And the costs of administering an ongoing plan are much higher than for a simple discharge and write-off."
  • "Taxpayers may only deduct losses greater than their insurance reimbursements, and usually must itemize to get a write-off."
  • "Only one tax return out of more than 1,000 she prepared over a decade benefited from the write-off, she adds."