public debt

American  

noun

1. national debt.

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public debt British  

noun

1. the total financial obligations incurred by all governmental bodies of a nation

2. another name for national debt

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Etymology

Origin of public debt

First recorded in 1715–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

public debt

As a result, almost 33% of U.S. public debt will mature in a year or less, and another 35% within five years, according to Treasury data.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

Senegal's public debt is alarming, although similar situations have played out elsewhere in Africa.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

“Suppose the sovereign remains solvent and its debt remains safe. Can a larger stock of safe public debt nevertheless become a drag on aggregate demand?”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

He favored energetic national power, executive authority, public debt, a national bank, protective tariffs, manufacturing subsidies and government-led development.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Brazil entered upon seven lean years, during which foreign trade remained stationary, the revenues increased only at the cost of heavy impositions, and the public debt grew.

From The South American Republics Part I of II by Thomas C. Dawson