budget

[buhj-it]

noun

1. an estimate, often itemized, of expected income and expense for a given period in the future.

2. a plan of operations based on such an estimate.

3. an itemized allotment of funds, time, etc., for a given period.

4. the total sum of money set aside or needed for a purpose.

   the construction budget.

5. a limited stock or supply of something.

   his budget of goodwill.

6. Obsolete.,  a small bag; pouch.

adjective

1. reasonably or cheaply priced.

   budget dresses.

verb (used with object)

budgeted, budgeting 

1. to plan allotment of (funds, time, etc.).

2. to deal with (specific funds) in a budget.

verb (used without object)

budgeted, budgeting 

1. to subsist on or live within a budget.

budget

¹

/ ˈbʌdʒɪt /

noun

1. an itemized summary of expected income and expenditure of a country, company, etc, over a specified period, usually a financial year

2. an estimate of income and a plan for domestic expenditure of an individual or a family, often over a short period, such as a month or a week

3. a restriction on expenditure (esp in the phrase on a budget )

4. (modifier) economical; inexpensive

   budget meals for a family

5. the total amount of money allocated for a specific purpose during a specified period

6. archaic,  a stock, quantity, or supply

verb

1. (tr) to enter or provide for in a budget

2. to plan the expenditure of (money, time, etc)

3. (intr) to make a budget

Budget

²

/ ˈbʌdʒɪt /

noun

1. an estimate of British government expenditures and revenues and the financial plans for the ensuing fiscal year presented annually to the House of Commons by the Chancellor of the Exchequer

Other Word Forms

• budgetary adjective
• budgeter noun
• nonbudgetary adjective
• prebudget noun
• prebudgetary adjective
• pro-budgeting adjective
• rebudget verb (used with object)
• unbudgeted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of budget¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bowgett, from Middle French, bougette, from bouge “bag” (from Latin bulga; bulge ) + -ette -ette )

Word History and Origins

Origin of budget¹

C15 (meaning: leather pouch, wallet): from Old French bougette , diminutive of bouge , from Latin bulga , of Gaulish origin; compare Old English bælg bag

Example Sentences

Forty-nine of 100 respondents who were asked about the trend expect Microsoft to gain the largest additional share of IT budgets as a result of the shift to the cloud in the next three years.

Read more on Barron's

Would you buy stock in a firm whose management chooses to suspend operations while they fight over a budget?

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I know of no living document more reflective of a nation’s morality than its budget.

Read more on Salon

The Canadian government’s annual budget plan, out Nov. 4, is set to include spending and other measures aimed at lifting business investment—which in the second quarter fell to a historic low.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Control of the White House changed in fiscal year 2025, but the U.S. budget picture didn’t.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• account 
• allocation 
• cost 
• total