debt

American  

[det] / dɛt /

noun

• debts
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• superdebt
  noun
• debtless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• debts
  plural

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

See Examples For:

debt debts

"I think that's something that took me probably the best part of 10 years to understand," she adds, noting that her twin sister did start university in 2011 and had less debt as a result.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

The AI run-up has occurred against a backdrop in which investors face such challenges as surging bond yields, which are pushing prices of that debt lower and making stocks appear more expensive, he said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026

She says it is "so frustrating" that she has to pay out thousands of pounds a year more on her student debt.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Wealth is measured as a family’s assets, like stocks and home equity, minus their liabilities, like mortgages and credit-card debt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

This was a distressing thing to admit, given how hard I’d worked and how in debt I was.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

But it has also been brewing because the interest rate is higher than most other student loan plans, and many have seen their debts rise despite making monthly repayments.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

As executor and person with the affidavit, you are responsible for making sure all outstanding debts are paid.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 27, 2026

However the figures shake down, the increasing cost of paying the interest on the country's debts weighs heavily.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

The company disclosed it had debts of $225 million.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026

Many had lost their houses and farms because they couldn’t pay their debts.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

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