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 U.S. bond market has its own problems, from the Fed to the deficit.

From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026

One executive raised the possibility of introducing a flat tax dedicated to narrowing the country’s deficit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

They flew out of the blocks, led by the evergreen Martin Boyle, and had wiped out the two-goal deficit within 15 minutes.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Despite the market’s concerns about the longevity of the current chip boom, Samsung still forecasts a major supply-demand deficit to persist into 2027, as growth in agentic AI augments the huge buildout of AI infrastructure.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

We hung in there most of the match, but had acquired a large deficit going into the seventh bout.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Globally, macro forces, such as rising inflation and large budget deficits, are pushing rates higher.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

The board’s vote “has made certain the District’s structural deficits continue.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Most of Wales and Northern Ireland have also had rainfall deficits, although parts of western Scotland have been wetter than average.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026

"For decades, the city has been living beyond its means and is now making up its budget deficits at the expense of tourism," he told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

I began thinking about what would happen if we all just acknowledged our brokenness, if we owned up to our weaknesses, our deficits, our biases, our fears.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• loss
• shortfall