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Bracket

BRAK-it /ˈbrækɪt/

nounB2

FormalBusiness

A category of people or things that are similar or fall within a specified range, especially a range of income subject to a particular rate of tax.

In taxation, a 'bracket' defines a range of income where a specific tax rate applies. Understanding your tax bracket is crucial for estimating your tax liability.

The story behind the word. The word 'bracket' originally came from the Old French 'braguette,' referring to a codpiece or a type of support. It later evolved to mean a projecting support or a brace. The sense of a 'category' or 'range' for things like tax rates is a metaphorical extension, as if incomes are 'held' within specific supporting categories.

Word relationships

Category: A class or division of people or things regarded as having particular shared characteristics.
Range: The area of variation between upper and lower limits on a particular scale.
Tier: One of a series of rows or levels placed one above another.

Commonly confused with

Rate: A 'bracket' is the range of income, while the 'rate' is the percentage of tax applied to that income within the bracket.

Collocations

tax bracket
income bracket
lower bracket
upper bracket

Example sentences

"With her recent promotion, she moved into a higher tax bracket, meaning a larger portion of her income would be taxed at a higher rate." Explaining tax rates.
"The new policy aims to provide tax relief for those in the lowest income bracket." Discussing economic policy.

Memory hook

Think of a BRACKET as a 'BARRIER' that separates different income levels for tax purposes. BRACKET = BARRIER

When not to use

While 'bracket' can refer to any category, in a financial context, it almost exclusively refers to income ranges for tax purposes. Avoid using it for general categories if 'category' or 'group' is clearer.

Fun facts

The punctuation marks [ ] are also called brackets, serving to enclose or 'bracket' information.