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

If we advertise that right and stream it in primetime, we might be able to settle the national debt.

From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026

Massie is a throwback libertarian who, in lieu of the standard lawmaker flag pin, wears on his lapel a national debt clock that he programmed himself.

From Slate ● May 19, 2026

That figure is not included in the “official” national debt, which recently hit $31 trillion.

From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026

Currently, the weighted average interest rate on national debt is at 3.33%, up from its 2022 low External link of 1.6%.

From Barron's ● May 4, 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