Dictionary.com

debenture

[ dih-ben-cher ]
/ dɪˈbɛn tʃər /
Save This Word!

noun
a certificate of drawback issued at a custom house.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of debenture

1425–75; late Middle English debentur<Latin dēbentur (mihi) there are owing (to me), 3rd person plural passive indicative of dēbēre to owe (see debt)

OTHER WORDS FROM debenture

de·ben·tured, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use debenture in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for debenture

debenture
/ (dɪˈbɛntʃə) /

noun
Also called: debenture bond a long-term bond, bearing fixed interest and usually unsecured, issued by a company or governmental agency
a certificate acknowledging the debt of a stated sum of money to a specified person
a customs certificate providing for a refund of excise or import duty

Derived forms of debenture

debentured, adjective

Word Origin for debenture

C15: from Latin phrase dēbentur mihi there are owed to me, from dēbēre to owe
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
FEEDBACK