budget deficit

British

noun

the amount by which government expenditure exceeds income from taxation, customs duties, etc, in any one fiscal year

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The latter in particular may mean a higher government budget deficit that requires the issuance of more U.K. government bonds, pressuring prices.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

Carlisle sharply criticized homelessness spending, saying it has gone unchecked amid a budget deficit.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Eurozone governments cut their combined budget deficit to 2.9% of GDP in 2025 from 3% in 2024, according to the EU statistics agency.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Tariff refunds are expected to slow U.S. budget deficit improvement, which saw a 10% cash increase from October to March.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023