debt service

noun

: the amount of interest and sinking fund payments due annually on long-term debt

Examples of debt service in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The current fiscal trajectory in the US is unsustainable, and the debt service burden has grown large enough to squeeze out other spending. Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025 Former Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson previously told the Post-Tribune that the debt service on the bond is about $3.3 million per year or $66 million for a full 20 years, according to archives. Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025 Household debt service as a share of disposable personal income was at 11.3% in Q4, below its pre-pandemic levels, per Federal Reserve data. Neil Irwin, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025 The cost of debt service is currently more than a trillion dollars a year. Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for debt service

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of debt service was in 1929

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Cite this Entry

“Debt service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debt%20service. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

Legal Definition

debt service

noun
: the amount of interest and principal payments due annually on long-term debt
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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