deficit spending

American  

noun

1. the practice of spending funds in excess of income, especially by a government.

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Etymology

Origin of deficit spending

First recorded in 1935–40

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deficit spending

France’s 3.5 trillion-euro government bond market is the largest in Europe thanks to years of high deficit spending.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

“Current deficit spending as a percent of GDP of 5.2% would be 6.1% without tariff revenue,” says Bill Merz, head of capital markets research at U.S.

From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026

McLennan pointed to two paths forward for governments in developed economies to address their deficit spending and high levels of debt.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 27, 2026

The nation’s second-largest school system has been able to sustain deficit spending because of reserves left over from more than $5 billion in one-time pandemic-relief aid.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2025

Failure to reach agreement with multilateral lenders in late 1995 led to rising deficit spending and subsequently increasing inflation and a drop in the value of the Haitian currency in the final months of 1995.

From The 1996 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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Related Words

• budget deficit

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