national debt

American  

noun

1. the financial obligations of a national government resulting from deficit spending.

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national debt British  

noun

1. Also called (esp US): public debt.  the total outstanding borrowings of a nation's central government

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national debt Cultural  

1. The debt of the government; the amount of borrowing by the government to meet expenditures exceeding tax revenues.

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A large national debt can inhibit growth and drive up interest rates.

Etymology

Origin of national debt

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

national debt

"There's 40 trillion reasons why I would agree with a fiscal conservative," Osborn said, referring to the staggering US national debt, which recently passed the $40 trillion mark.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

Last month, the national debt topped $40 trillion for the first time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

The U.S. government’s annual interest expense on its national debt is currently around $1.2 trillion — over 3% of GDP and about 20% of tax revenues.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

In the eurozone, demand for bonds will come under intense scrutiny this month as Europeans return from holidays and national debt agencies also resume auctions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

A reasonable estimate of the additional costs for capitalizing a gradual emancipation program would have increased the national debt to about $125 million.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis