debt
Americannoun
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something that is owed or that one is bound to pay to or perform for another.
a debt of $50.
- Synonyms:
- due, duty, obligation
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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
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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
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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
- 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”
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.
Many trades and technical roles, meanwhile, offer immediate job security, lower educational costs and competitive wages without four years of tuition debt.
Data brokers create detailed individual profiles of online users that are used by advertisers, landlords, debt collectors and others who purchase the information.
From Los Angeles Times
The move higher came after Vistra said late Monday that it had agreed to buy Cogentrix Energy from Quantum Capital Group, in a $4 billion deal consisting of cash, stock, and debt.
From Barron's
Interest rates are coming down while credit spends are narrowing, which tends to stimulate debt issuance.
Interest rates are coming down while credit spends are narrowing, which tends to stimulate debt issuance.
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.
