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 (opposed to 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; see 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

Izquierdo is correct that the card functions more like a debit card than a credit card.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

Launched in 2020, PIX has revolutionized payments in Brazil and surpassed the use of credit and debit cards, with seven billion transactions in January alone, according to the central bank.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

The new fear is that agentic commerce, featuring AI agents doing consumers’ shopping for them, will displace people tapping, swiping or clicking with their credit or debit cards.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

In Saturday's statement, the airline said it would automatically process refunds for any flights purchased through Spirit with a credit or debit card to the original form of payment.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

We filled out a bunch of forms and then had brand-new bank accounts, complete with debit cards that would arrive in seven to ten days.

From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green