debt

American  

[det] / dɛt /

noun

1. something that is owed or that one is bound to pay to or perform for another.

   a debt of $50.

   Synonyms:

   due, duty, obligation

2. a liability or obligation to pay or render something.

   My debt to her for advice is not to be discharged easily.

3. the condition of being under such an obligation.

   His gambling losses put him deeply in debt.

4. Theology. an offense requiring reparation; a sin; a trespass.

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debt British  

/ dɛt /

noun

1. something that is owed, such as money, goods, or services

2. a debt that has little or no prospect of being paid

3. an obligation to pay or perform something; liability

4. the state of owing something, esp money, or of being under an obligation (esp in the phrases in debt, in ( someone's ) debt )

5. a temporary failure to maintain the necessary supply of something

   sleep debt

   oxygen debt

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debt Cultural  

1. Money, goods, or services owed by an individual, firm, or government to another individual, firm, or government.

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debt Idioms  

1. see head over heels (in debt).

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Other Word Forms

• debtless adjective
• superdebt noun

Etymology

Origin of debt

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English dette, from Old French, from Latin dēbita (neuter plural, taken in Vulgar Latin as feminine singular), noun use of dēbitus “owed,” past participle of dēbēre “to owe,” contraction of dēhabēre (unrecorded), from dē- de- + habēre “to have”

Explanation

The noun debt refers to an obligation to pay for or do something. If you get arrested for stealing, serving time in jail is the way to repay your debt to society. Debt comes from the Latin word debitum, which means "thing owed." Often, a debt is money that you must repay someone. Debt can also mean the state of owing something — if you borrow twenty dollars from your brother, you are in debt to him until you pay him back. If someone says, "I owe you a debt of gratitude," it means you have done something great and that person intends to do something to "repay" your kindness.

Example Sentences

Hexagon intends to finance the deal with cash and existing debt, with closing expected in the second half of 2026.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

The big blow came last September, when the company said the debt restructuring included the issuance of up to 326.2 million shares, as well as new notes that could be converted into common stock.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026

Adding insult to injury, to settle a debt, Hunt sold the 1849 patent rights for something that could have kept his legacy alive: the modern-day safety pin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

On March 31, Beyond Meat actually reported a rare quarterly net profit, but that was only because it booked a one-time $548.7 million non-cash gain for a debt restructuring.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026

Another person would have been crying at the idea of debt, or at least getting angry or stressed out.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Related Words

• arrears
• bill
• capital
• commitment
• credit
• damage
• deficit
• due
• indebtedness
• liability
• mortgage
• obligation
• price tag
• receipt