What does discounted mean?
'Discounted' is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'to discount', and it also functions as an adjective. Its most familiar meaning concerns price: something that is discounted is sold for less than its usual or list price, as in a discounted fare or a discounted laptop. A second, equally established sense is figurative: to have discounted an idea or explanation is to have decided it is wrong or unimportant and set it aside, as when investigators discounted a suspect's alibi. In finance, the word has precise technical uses, notably in 'discounted cash flow', where future payments are converted into their present value by deducting interest. The word derives from the medieval Latin 'computare' via Old French 'conter', meaning to count, with the prefix 'dis-' indicating subtraction. Because both everyday shopping and formal analysis rely on it, 'discounted' spans registers from advertising copy to accounting reports.
Reduced in price; or regarded as untrue, unlikely, or unimportant and therefore disregarded.
"She discounted his warning as mere pessimism."
Both senses are standard in British and American English.
Offered or sold at a reduced price.
"He bought a discounted gym membership during the January sale."
The 'dis-' in 'discounted' doesn't mean 'badly counted' — it literally means the price has been counted off, subtracted before you ever see the tag.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of discounted
'Discounted' comes from the verb 'discount', formed in English in the early 17th century from 'dis-' plus 'count'. The root 'count' descends from Old French 'conter', from medieval Latin 'computare', meaning to calculate. Cognates sharing this Latin root include 'account', 'counter', and 'recount'.
Related word forms
How discounted is actually used
The pricing sense and the 'dismissed as implausible' sense are both common; context almost always makes clear which applies. In finance, 'discounted' carries technical meanings such as in 'discounted cash flow', where future sums are converted to present value.
Easily confused with discounted
'Discounted' means either reduced in price or dismissed from consideration, while 'discouraged' means having lost confidence or enthusiasm.