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

Example Sentences

The card duopoly makes money not just from credit card transactions, but also from debit card payments, earning roughly the same fee on both types of swipes.

From Barron's

Between 1 January and 31 March 2026, the energy price cap is set at £1,758 per year for a typical household which uses electricity and pays by direct debit.

From BBC

It fixes the maximum amount customers can be charged for each unit of gas and electricity on a standard - or default - variable tariff for a typical dual-fuel household which pays by direct debit.

From BBC

The ledger of Newman’s youth had mostly debits for the future painter.

From The Wall Street Journal

As assistant attorney general, Delrahim authorized a lawsuit seeking to block the deal, saying it would have cemented Visa’s monopoly in online debit transactions.

From The Wall Street Journal