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

Chaves has said the cuts are part of a plan to address the national debt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 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