discount

discount — noun

1. a sum taken off a product's standard price, so the customer pays less than they

1.nounA2
Definition

a sum taken off a product's standard price, so the customer pays less than they normally would

Example

Daichi got a 20% discount on the new laptop because he was a student.

collocation: get a discount

The store offers a special discount for senior citizens every Tuesday morning.

collocation: offer a discount

Common collocations
  • get a discount
  • offer a discount
  • give a discount
  • at a discount
  • discount of [amount]
  • student discount
  • senior discount
  • employee discount
  • cash discount
  • membership discount
Synonyms
  • reduction

    more general; discount specifically means a price cut

  • markdown

    common in retail; a markdown is a store's permanent or temporary price cut

  • rebate

    money returned after purchase, not taken off upfront at the till

  • deduction

    more formal; used in tax or finance contexts

Antonyms
  • surcharge

    an extra fee added to the usual price

  • premium

    an additional amount above the usual price

Grammar Patterns

a discount

at a discount

Usage Note

Can be countable ('a discount of 10%') or uncountable ('items sold at discount'). The phrase 'at a discount' is a fixed prepositional phrase — learners often incorrectly say 'with discount' instead.

Common Mistakes

I bought it with discount.
I bought it at a discount.
The correct preposition is 'at', not 'with'.
I got discount on the bag.
I got a discount on the bag.
When referring to a specific price reduction, use the article 'a'.
Idioms

at a discount

idiom

sold for less than the usual price, often because of a special promotion or to clear stock

The hotel rooms were offered at a discount because of the low tourist season.

She bought designer shoes at a discount during the end-of-year sale.

discount — verb

discount — adjective

Word family

  • discounted
    adjectiveB1
  • discounter
    nounB2
  • discountable
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to taking money off a price, but they differ in timing and context. A 'discount' is taken off at the point of sale — you pay less upfront. A 'reduction' is the most general term and can refer to any decrease in price or quantity. A 'markdown' is a retailer's specific decision to lower the listed price, often written on the price tag. A 'rebate' is different: you pay the full price first and get money back later by mail or claim. 'Deduction' is more formal and is most common in tax or accounting contexts. For everyday shopping, 'discount' is the natural choice: 'I got a 10% discount at the counter.' Use 'rebate' when describing a mail-in offer, and 'markdown' when talking about clearance sales.

reduction ↗markdownrebate ↗deduction ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Discount entered English in the 1600s from the Old French word 'desconter', meaning 'to count out' or 'to deduct'. It combines 'des-' (away) and 'conter' (to count). The original sense was purely financial — counting out interest in advance on a loan. By the 1800s it had developed the broader meaning of reducing a price. The sense of 'disregard' (verb sense 2) grew later from the idea of 'counting something out' or 'removing it from consideration', much like a banker deducts interest before lending the money.