debt
Americannoun
-
something that is owed or that one is bound to pay to or perform for another.
a debt of $50.
- Synonyms:
- due, duty, obligation
-
a liability or obligation to pay or render something.
My debt to her for advice is not to be discharged easily.
-
the condition of being under such an obligation.
His gambling losses put him deeply in debt.
-
Theology. an offense requiring reparation; a sin; a trespass.
noun
-
something that is owed, such as money, goods, or services
-
a debt that has little or no prospect of being paid
-
an obligation to pay or perform something; liability
-
the state of owing something, esp money, or of being under an obligation (esp in the phrases in debt, in ( someone's ) debt )
-
a temporary failure to maintain the necessary supply of something
sleep debt
oxygen debt
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing debt
Material World: Shopping Lingo
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The Great Depression and The New Deal
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Economics
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Debt and lease liabilities rose 68% in the last quarter to $162 billion, and the company has another $261 billion in lease liabilities that hadn’t commenced as of February.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
The Debt Management Office is due to auction green gilts maturing in 2037 on Tuesday and index-linked gilts maturing in 2035 on Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
Debt from domestic rates bills increased by more than 50% last year, according to figures from Advice NI.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
Experts also recommend using an online calculator offered by the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program to explore your options.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
Debt was an ugly word and an ugly concept to Olive.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
