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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.
Chicago Alternative Budget Letter by Adam Harrington The letter emphasized that in January of this year, the city's general obligation bonds were downgraded — resulting in roughly $2 million in extra annual debt service for every $1 billion in debt issuance. Lauren Victory, CBS News, 3 Dec. 2025 Those funds are not all directed towards football, and part of that increase reflects a jump in cost of living and scholarship costs, plus facility debt service covered by the school. Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 24 Nov. 2025 These clauses allow governments to automatically suspend debt service payments to bondholders for up to two years when a qualifying disaster strikes. Farah Nibbs, The Conversation, 12 Nov. 2025 Forgiving debt can free up resources that would otherwise go toward debt service. Arif Husain, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Debt service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debt%20service. Accessed 6 Dec. 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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