v. phr. 1. To remove (an amount) from a business record; cancel (a debt); accept as a loss. If a customer dies when he owes the store money, the store must often write it off.
Compare: CHARGE OFF. 2. To accept (a loss or trouble) and not worry anymore about it; forget. Mr. Brown had so much trouble with the new TV set that he finally wrote it off and bought a new one. Jim's mistake cost him time and money, but he wrote it off to experience.
Compare: CHARGE OFF 2 .
Antonym: CHALK UP 2 . To say that (something) will fail or not be good; believe worthless. Just because the boys on the team are young, don't write the team off.
Compare: COUNT OUT.