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deficit
[ def-uh-sit; British also dih-fis-it ]
/ ˈdɛf ə sɪt; British also dɪˈfɪs ɪt /
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noun
the amount by which a sum of money falls short of the required amount.
the amount by which expenditures or liabilities exceed income or assets.
a lack or shortage; deficiency.
a disadvantage, impairment, or handicap: The team's major deficit is its poor pitching.
a loss, as in the operation of a business.
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Origin of deficit
1775–85; <Latin dēficit (it) lacks, 3rd person singular present indicative of dēficere;see deficient
OTHER WORDS FROM deficit
su·per·def·i·cit, nounWords nearby deficit
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use deficit in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for deficit
deficit
/ (ˈdɛfɪsɪt, dɪˈfɪsɪt) /
noun
the amount by which an actual sum is lower than that expected or required
- an excess of liabilities over assets
- an excess of expenditures over revenues during a certain period
- an excess of payments over receipts on the balance of payments
Word Origin for deficit
C18: from Latin, literally: there is lacking, from dēficere to be lacking
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for deficit
deficit
[ dĕf′ĭ-sĭt ]
n.
A lack or deficiency of a substance.
A lack or impairment in mental or physical functioning.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cultural definitions for deficit
deficit
A shortage, especially the amount by which a sum of money falls short of what is required; a debt.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.