deficit

American  

[def-uh-sit, dih-fis-it] / ˈdɛf ə sɪt, dɪˈfɪs ɪt /

noun

• deficits
  plural

1. the amount by which a sum of money falls short of the required amount.

2. the amount by which expenditures or liabilities exceed income or assets.

3. a lack or shortage; deficiency.

4. a disadvantage, impairment, or handicap.

   The team's major deficit is its poor pitching.

5. a loss, as in the operation of a business.

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deficit British  

/ ˈdɛfɪsɪt, dɪˈfɪsɪt /

noun

1. the amount by which an actual sum is lower than that expected or required

2. 1. an excess of liabilities over assets

   2. an excess of expenditures over revenues during a certain period

   3. an excess of payments over receipts on the balance of payments

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deficit Cultural  

1. A shortage, especially the amount by which a sum of money falls short of what is required; a debt.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• superdeficit
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• deficits
  plural

Etymology

Origin of deficit

First recorded in 1775–85; from Latin dēficit “(it) lacks,” 3rd-person singular present of dēficere “to fail, run short, lack, weaken”; see deficient

Explanation

If you're running a deficit, you are losing. You might be losing money or losing a game. Either way, you better make up for it. When the government runs on a deficit, often the loss can be offset by a raise in taxes. If you have a deficit of iron in your body, you should consider eating more spinach. The word deficit comes from the Latin deficit meaning "it is wanting." A deficit is characterized by the wanting of something missing.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deficit deficits

The French government on Thursday pledged to cut spending by about $50 billion next year and bring its deficit down to 5%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

The government is also planning to "almost halve" its social security deficit in 2027, bringing it down to 12 to 13 billion euros, Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

The barrister said an expert report outlined that this "language deficit" had led to difficulties and impacted his "understanding of societal norms and morals".

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

The French budget deficit is projected to reach 5.4% of GDP this year – one of the largest deficits in the European Union and well ahead of the region’s 3% rules.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

Through knowledge, political will, and perhaps some luck, we seem to have tamed inflation and the budget deficit.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Renewed investor concern that high government deficits could erode the value of fiat currencies is one reason behind the shift in thinking.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

At the same time, glucosamine-treated mice developed worse deficits in "social memory" -- or memory of recognition -- compared with the other animals.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026

"I think Friedrich Merz knows about his deficits," says Hardt.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

The general public doesn’t have “a perfect understanding of the link between deficits and the economy,” but “at some level people do understand the connection,” Goldwein added.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 20, 2026

Giving himself repeated daily shots of canine insulin in the abdomen, arm, or leg, Woolf almost certainly spent his days boomeranging between insulin gluts and deficits.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Related Words

• loss
• shortfall