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• budget
  budget

  noun

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

  noun

  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

budget

American  

[buhj-it] / ˈbʌdʒ ɪt /

noun

• budgets
  plural

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.

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adjective

1. reasonably or cheaply priced.

   budget dresses.

verb (used with object)

• budgets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• budgeted,
  past participle,  past
• budgeting
  present participle

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

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

verb (used without object)

• budgets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• budgeted,
  past participle,  past
• budgeting
  present participle

1. to subsist on or live within a budget.

budget ¹ British  

/ 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

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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 British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• budgets
  plural

Participles

• budgeting
  present
• budgeted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• budget
  simple
• budgets
  simple
• have budgeted
  perfect
• has budgeted
  perfect
• am budgeting
  progressive
• are budgeting
  progressive
• is budgeting
  progressive
• have been budgeting
  perfect progressive
• has been budgeting
  perfect progressive

Past

• budgeted
  simple
• had budgeted
  perfect
• was budgeting
  progressive
• were budgeting
  progressive
• had been budgeting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will budget
  simple
• will have budgeted
  perfect
• will be budgeting
  progressive
• will have been budgeting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of budget

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

Explanation

A budget is a sum of money set aside and divided up to cover particular expenses. Like allotting certain amounts for food, rent, movies, and manicures every month to make sure you don't run out of cash. From the Middle French bougette, the noun budget translated to “leather pouch” when it was first used in the early 15th century. Perhaps a leather pouch to hold gold coins? It wasn’t until 1733 that the word took on the more specific financial meaning it has nowadays. You can budget all sorts of things, including time, money, and energy. Every year, Congress tries to balance the federal budget — but that's no easy task.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

budget Budget budgets budgeted budgeting

The rail network has an operating budget of more than $350 million and includes an average daily weekday ridership of more than 23,000 and an average weekend ridership of roughly 235,000.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

By September, Wilson slashed her goal to around 1,000 beds in two years, blaming budget constraints and the pace of government.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

Metro has funded about $137 million of Metrolink’s budget and has posed a 3% budget reduction, which Metro staff said is based on Metrolink’s surplus.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Even if Boring’s deputies don’t take any others into custody, his department is eligible for a payment equal to more than a quarter of its annual budget.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

The police agreed but pleaded short-handedness and tried for increased budget and sometimes succeeded.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

John Healey's first Budget this month will likely create "breathing space" for households and businesses by focusing on the cost of living, the Financial Times reports.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Benefits will be cut by 26% starting in 2032, according to the Congressional Budget Office, which is a nonpartisan federal agency that provides Congress with independent analysis of budgetary and economic issues.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

Budget: Umana would review the district’s budget to identify “opportunities to reduce waste while improving services.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

France’s Budget Act for 2027 is scheduled to be presented on Thursday, with a public deficit target of 5.0% of gross domestic product.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

The Budget Lodging clerk, who seems to have some familiarity with the housing nightmares of low-wage workers, suggests I keep trying motels.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

While inflation has put pressure on household budgets, coffee chains have been mostly immune from the pressures elsewhere in the restaurant industry, analysts said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Skills managing schedules, budgets and a team of people are appealing, she said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

In office, she has voted in favor of some budgets that increased spending at the LAPD.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

As a realtor, she said she handles contracts, budgets, negotiations, legal requirements and competing interests — helpful skills in a trustee role.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

“Quinzy is Edward Ashton, and your theory about the haystack was correct. His true purpose has nothing to do with school songs or jam budgets or overgrown ivy.”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Current estimates indicate that the second correction and orbital insertion should both require less fuel than originally budgeted.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

The cost of these two clearances alone has been budgeted at £20m by the Environment Agency - although the Kidlington project has come in under the original £7.3m contract.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Each of these programs went years past their original delivery deadlines and cost far more than originally budgeted.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

That could lead to a nasty surprise for which they might not have budgeted.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

At McMillan’s suggestion, Lawrence shrank his proposal to a 6-billion-volt machine budgeted at just under $10 million.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Adam Auriemma on budgeting, renting versus buying, investments, financial advisors, and more!

From Slate ● Oct. 3, 2026

Cruise was on board after their initial meeting in 2018, but budgeting and schedules delayed the project.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

So how much is keeping active costing exercise goers, at a time when budgeting is tight?

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Raman: Understanding the finances of the city and how budgeting works in the city.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

She had traveled for stories a few times in the past—down to Columbus, to investigate state budgeting cuts; up to Ann Arbor, when a former Shaker student had started at quarterback in the Michigan-OSU game.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Related Words

• account
• allocation
• cost
• total