debit

American  

[deb-it] / ˈdɛb ɪt /

noun

1. the recording or an entry of debt in an account.

2. Bookkeeping.

   1. that which is entered in an account as a debt; a recorded item of debt.

   2. any entry or the total shown on the debit side.

   3. the left-hand side of an account on which such entries are made (credit ).

3. an undesirable or disadvantageous feature.

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verb (used with object)

1. to charge with a debt.

   The store debited her account for the purchase.

2. to charge as a debt.

   The store debited the purchase to her account.

3. Bookkeeping. to enter upon the debit side of an account.

debit British  

/ ˈdɛbɪt /

noun

1. 1. acknowledgment of a sum owing by entry on the left side of an account

   2. the left side of an account

   3. an entry on this side

   4. the total of such entries

   5. ( as modifier ) Compare credit

      a debit balance

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verb

1. (tr)

   1. to record (an item) as a debit in an account

   2. to charge (a person or his account) with a debt Compare credit

Other Word Forms

• predebit noun
• redebit verb (used with object)
• undebited adjective

Etymology

Origin of debit

1400–50; late Middle English < Old French < Latin dēbitum something owed; debt

Explanation

A debit is a payment made or charged, or the notation of the amount charged. Trying to track down the mysterious $2 debit to your bank account is almost never fruitful, but you’re bound to do it anyway. From the Latin debere, meaning “to owe,” and just one i away from its more blunt cousin debt, a debit seems like a little word. But add an s to the end, and those charges really add up. You can use the word debit as a verb — “to debit your account,” or a noun — “the debit on your account,” but either way, a debit means you have less money than you had before!

Example Sentences

Uber Technologies and Lyft began last month offering discounts for drivers to help offset gas prices, including expanded savings and rewards when using Uber and Lyft debit cards.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Total spending on credit and debit cards, excluding gasoline purchases, was holding fairly steady at a solid 3.7% year-over-year increase through March 28, according to BofA data.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

NordVPN accepts all major credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and CoinGate, which allows users to pay with Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and many other cryptocurrencies.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

Prepayment customers were previously charged more than those who settle their bill by direct debit, but now pay the same after the latest move to align what prepayment and Direct Debit customers pay.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Friends would teach him how to brush his teeth, use a debit card, and fool around with a smartphone.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden