Definition of "detract" []

• To draw or take away; divert: They could detract little from so solid an argument. (verb-transitive)
• Archaic To speak ill of; belittle. (verb-transitive)
• To reduce the value, importance, or quality of something. Often used with from: testimony that only detracts from the strength of the plaintiff's case. (verb-intransitive)

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.

• "Let's not detract from the issue at hand, a birth certificate has yet to be produced."
• "Although that will detract from the street cred of that bearded homeless person look he cultivates."
• "It is because of their commitment and refusal to detract from the cause that the interim government has been forced to gag the media."