decimate: although the actual meaning is “to kill every tenth person,” decimate is generally accepted as meaning “to impose significant casualties”; it is substandard to use the word to apply to nonanimate damage, complete destruction, or with a percentage. Note: This is a word typically employed to impress or as hyperbole. Simpler terms do a much better job.
deduce/induce/adduce: deduce is to develop specific conclusions from general propositions; induce is to use specific observations to form general conclusions; adduce is to cite an example, provide as a reason, or present as proof
deduct/subtract: deduct is used for quantities or amounts; subtract is the operator for numbers
defamation/libel/slander: defamation is spreading a lie that damages an individual’s reputation and/or livelihood; libel is the written form of defamation; other-than-written defamation is slander
defective/deficient: defective is to have defects; something that is not complete is deficient
definite/definitive: synonyms for definite include “clear” and “exact”; definitive is “conclusive” or “most reliable”
delay/postpone: to delay is to slow or to obstruct; to postpone is to put off to a point in the future
delegate/relegate: to delegate is to empower another to act on one’s behalf; to relegate is to “demote” or to reduce in position
delusion/illusion: a false belief is a delusion; an illusion is a misperception
denote/connote: to denote is to identify the actual meaning of something; to connote is provide additional meaning, especially an emotional nuance
denounce/renounce: to denounce is to accuse or to harshly criticize; to renounce is to discard or to abandon
deprecate/depreciate: to deprecate is to signal unhappiness or censure; to reduce in value is to depreciate
derisive/derisory: derisive is expressing or creating ridicule; derisory something that warrants mockery or scorn
deserts/desserts: deserts are justified; desserts are confections eaten (typically at the end of a meal)
determinism/fatalism: determinism is the view that “cause and effect” deeply influences free will and perhaps turning such freedom into delusion; fatalism is the attitude that it is useless to avoid events, with existence managed by an all-powerful external force
deterrent/detriment: deterrent is something that slows something down or hinders it; detriment is what cases loss, damage, or injury
detract/distract: detract is to take away from or to reduce; distract is to confound or redirect [typically attention]
different: the preferred form is “different from” (not “different than”), but “differently than” can be required for accurate meaning
dilemma: speaks to an unpleasant or painful choice between undesirable choices; the choices need not be of equal weight
disburse/disperse: to disburse is to dispense money; to disperse is to scatter [evenly distribute matter] or break up [as a crowd]
discover/invent: a thing that exists is discovered; something new is invented
discrete/discrete: is prudent or wisely cautious; discrete means separate and unconnected: distinct
disinterested/uninterested: disinterested means impartial (not having a personal or financial connection with an issue); uninterested is reserved for being bored with a subject, being unconcerned
disorganized/unorganized: disorganized is reserved to describe untidiness of an organization or corporate group; with unorganized describing individual disarray
distinctive/distinguished/distinguishable: distinctive is what is unique about a person or thing; something that is lofty is distinguished; with a person or thing being distinguishable through a unique feature (that may or may not be positive)
dive as verb: the correct conjugation continues as “dive/dived/dived”; “dove” as past tense is substandard
dock/pier/wharf: narrowly, the noun dock is the portion of water that used for tethering ships, in general usage it is interchangeable with pier and wharf; pier is technically a platform built into a waterway, but is generally understood as the same as wharf; wharf is any ship landing place
downward/downwards: American English does not add the s
drag as verb: the correct conjugation is “drag/dragged/dragged”; “drug” as past tense is substandard
due to: best used only in the sense of “attributable to” [as in: The flooding was due to a deluge of rain.]; do not use adverbially: because of is better (some are comfortable with owing to) [Because of the rain deluge, there was flooding.]
due to the fact that: just change to because; always change; never use
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