Jump To:

• budget
  budget

  noun

  an estimate, often itemized, of expected income and expense for a given period in the future.
• Budget
  Budget

  noun

  an estimate of British government expenditures and revenues and the financial plans for the ensuing fiscal year presented annually to the House of Commons by the Chancellor of the Exchequer

budget

American  

[buhj-it] / ˈbʌdʒ ɪt /

noun

• budgets
  plural

1. an estimate, often itemized, of expected income and expense for a given period in the future.

2. a plan of operations based on such an estimate.

3. an itemized allotment of funds, time, etc., for a given period.

4. the total sum of money set aside or needed for a purpose.

   the construction budget.

5. a limited stock or supply of something.

   his budget of goodwill.

6. Obsolete. a small bag; pouch.

---

adjective

1. reasonably or cheaply priced.

   budget dresses.

verb (used with object)

• budgets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• budgeted,
  past participle,  past
• budgeting
  present participle

1. to plan allotment of (funds, time, etc.).

2. to deal with (specific funds) in a budget.

verb (used without object)

• budgets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• budgeted,
  past participle,  past
• budgeting
  present participle

1. to subsist on or live within a budget.

budget ¹ British  

/ ˈbʌdʒɪt /

noun

1. an itemized summary of expected income and expenditure of a country, company, etc, over a specified period, usually a financial year

2. an estimate of income and a plan for domestic expenditure of an individual or a family, often over a short period, such as a month or a week

3. a restriction on expenditure (esp in the phrase on a budget )

4. (modifier) economical; inexpensive

   budget meals for a family

5. the total amount of money allocated for a specific purpose during a specified period

6. archaic a stock, quantity, or supply

---

verb

1. (tr) to enter or provide for in a budget

2. to plan the expenditure of (money, time, etc)

3. (intr) to make a budget

Budget ² British  

/ ˈbʌdʒɪt /

noun

1. an estimate of British government expenditures and revenues and the financial plans for the ensuing fiscal year presented annually to the House of Commons by the Chancellor of the Exchequer

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• budgeter
  noun
• prebudget
  noun
• rebudget
  verb (used with object)
• budgetary
  adjective
• nonbudgetary
  adjective
• prebudgetary
  adjective
• pro-budgeting
  adjective
• unbudgeted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• budgets
  plural

Participles

• budgeting
  present
• budgeted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• budget
  simple
• budgets
  simple
• have budgeted
  perfect
• has budgeted
  perfect
• am budgeting
  progressive
• are budgeting
  progressive
• is budgeting
  progressive
• have been budgeting
  perfect progressive
• has been budgeting
  perfect progressive

Past

• budgeted
  simple
• had budgeted
  perfect
• was budgeting
  progressive
• were budgeting
  progressive
• had been budgeting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will budget
  simple
• will have budgeted
  perfect
• will be budgeting
  progressive
• will have been budgeting
  perfect progressive

---

Etymology

Origin of budget

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bowgett, from Middle French, bougette, from bouge “bag” (from Latin bulga; see bulge) + -ette -ette )

---

Explanation

A budget is a sum of money set aside and divided up to cover particular expenses. Like allotting certain amounts for food, rent, movies, and manicures every month to make sure you don't run out of cash. From the Middle French bougette, the noun budget translated to “leather pouch” when it was first used in the early 15th century. Perhaps a leather pouch to hold gold coins? It wasn’t until 1733 that the word took on the more specific financial meaning it has nowadays. You can budget all sorts of things, including time, money, and energy. Every year, Congress tries to balance the federal budget — but that's no easy task.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

budget Budget budgets budgeted budgeting

Nvidia’s revenue could still grow in an expanding market while it captures a smaller share of a customer’s budget or accepts lower margins to secure business.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Lecornu is under pressure to get a cost-cutting budget through parliament.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

One of the most powerful executives in Hollywood, Bajaria oversaw a roughly $20 billion budget for shows and movies for the global streaming platform.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

On Thursday, Destry noted that top government officials—including the finance minister—have said they would stick to the rule limiting Indonesia’s budget deficit to 3% of gross domestic product.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

The discussions over the school budget sounded much like a couple talking around their kitchen table with a stack of bills, no hope of paying them and nothing but bad options.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Senior banking executives have told the BBC they expect the sector to be "on the menu" when the chancellor announces his Budget in two weeks' time.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Chancellor John Healey, who will deliver his first Budget in two weeks, said the UK has shown resilience in the face of conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

In 2032, benefits will be cut by 26%, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan federal agency that provides Congress with independent analysis of budgetary and economic issues.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

A few hours and one more Walmart charge later, I seriously considered returning the car to Budget early so I didn’t have to worry about charging or driving anymore.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

“Right there is James Atlas, the writer from The New Yorker. Over here, that’s Frank Raines. He is the head of the Office of Management and Budget in the Clinton administration.”

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Modern Britain is beset by planning delays, project overruns and ballooning infrastructure budgets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

“There are budgets that have been laid out, but no resources that have been allocated to it yet,” Herrera said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

The prices of many goods and services followed suit, leaving less room in budgets for more frivolous purchases.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

Raman voted for three city budgets that funded the program, approving $300 million in 2023 alone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Practically overnight the budgets of federal law enforcement agencies soared.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Abubakar has floated a plan for a "targeted" subsidy, described as "capped and budgeted production support tied to fuel refined in Nigeria" to help bring down prices at the pump.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

Current estimates indicate that the second correction and orbital insertion should both require less fuel than originally budgeted.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

The kingdom’s budget deficit, at the equivalent of $42.7 billion in the first half, is already running close to the shortfall it had budgeted for the entire year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

The process: They had initially budgeted for homes around $530,000 in the suburb, which is about 40 miles north of Seattle.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

First, experts in mosquito control complained that Congress had not budgeted enough money for the campaign to succeed.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

“Renault management has clearly done a much better budgeting and execution job than investors expected.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

Adam Auriemma on budgeting, renting versus buying, investments, financial advisors, and more!

From Slate ● Oct. 3, 2026

She added that, despite "budgeting proactively" and "being as careful as you can with savings and credit cards", rising bills mean people's financial situations are out of their control.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

A long-term infrastructure plan administered with two-year budgeting “sets clear priorities, identifies the projects that need to get done, and plans how to fund them over time,” proponents said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

She had traveled for stories a few times in the past—down to Columbus, to investigate state budgeting cuts; up to Ann Arbor, when a former Shaker student had started at quarterback in the Michigan-OSU game.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• account
• allocation
• cost
• total

---