budget

1 of 3

noun

bud·​get ˈbə-jət 

1

chiefly dialectal : a usually leather pouch, wallet, or pack

also : its contents

2

: stock, supply

3

: a quantity (as of energy or water) involved in, available for, or assignable to a particular situation

the A-bomb … yields its budget of energy … in a fraction of a second

—Scientific American Reader

also : an account of gains and losses of such a quantity

the global carbon budget

4

finance

a

: a statement of the financial position of an administration (as of a nation) for a definite period of time based on estimates of expenditures during the period and proposals for financing them

b

: a plan for the coordination of resources and expenditures

develop a budget for her company

c

: the amount of money that is available for, required for, or assigned to a particular purpose

a weekly budget for a family of five

a budget of less than $3000

budgetary

ˈbə-jə-ˌter-ē 

-ˌte-rē

adjective

budget

2 of 3

verb

budgeted; budgeting; budgets

transitive verb

1

a

: to put or allow for in a statement or plan coordinating resources and expenditures : to put or allow for in a budget

budgeted $200 a month to pay back student loans

funds budgeted by the administration for the project

b

: to require to adhere to a budget

Budget yourself wisely.

2

a

: to allocate funds for in a budget

budget a new hospital

b

: to plan or provide for the use of in detail

budgeting manpower

Budget your time wisely.

intransitive verb

: to put oneself on a budget

budgeting for a vacation

budget

3 of 3

adjective

: suitable for someone who is following a plan for coordinating resources and expenditures : suitable for one on a budget (see budget entry 1) : inexpensive

Synonyms

Noun

• fund
• deposit
• savings

Verb

• plan
• design
• prepare

Adjective

• reasonable
• cheap
• affordable
• inexpensive
• low

Examples of budget in a Sentence

Noun

What's the average weekly budget for a family of five?

The film has a million-dollar budget.

He's been trying to live on a budget of less than $1,500 a month.

We'll have to work out a budget so we can buy a new car.

Verb

They budgeted millions of dollars to make the film.

The project is budgeted at more than $100,000.

He budgets $50 for entertainment each month.

If we budget carefully, we will be able to go on the trip.

I need to learn how to budget my time more wisely.

Adjective

a budget phone plan for people on fixed incomes

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Use the meeting-day volatility to rebalance toward your risk budget rather than chase the first move. —Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025

While there is little information about the size of the NRO’s budget, the New York Times reported in 1994 that the budget was around $6 billion (around $12 billion in 2024 dollars). —Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025

Verb

The state’s Medicaid shortfall stems from the legislature not budgeting enough to match rising health care costs, according to NC DHHS. —Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025

Users can take advantage of credit score tracking, a concierge service to negotiate lower rates on their bills and even a budgeting tool that tracks spending and net worth over time. —Jasmin Suknanan, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025

Adjective

The logic of the movie industry right now seems to be that audiences are hard to lure into theaters for anything short of a mega-budget spectacle. —Robert Rubsam, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025

Here's a super-budget Dell monitor with an additional $20 price drop for your consideration. —PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bowgette, from Middle French bougette, diminutive of bouge leather bag, from Latin bulga, of Celtic origin; akin to Middle Irish bolg bag; akin to Old English belg bag — more at belly

Verb

derivative of budget entry 1

Adjective

from attributive use of budget entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1618, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adjective

1941, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing budget

• balance a/the budget
• big-budget
• budget surplus
• low-budget
• on a small/tight/shoestring budget
• over budget
• under budget
• within budget

Kids Definition

budget

1 of 2 noun

bud·​get ˈbəj-ət 

1

: supply entry 2 sense 1a, quantity

2

a

: a statement of estimated income and expenses

b

: a plan for using money

c

: the amount of money available for some purpose

budgetary

ˈbəj-ə-ˌter-ē 

adjective

budget

2 of 2 verb

1

: to put on or in a budget

budget $50 for entertainment

2

: to provide funds for in a budget

budget a new car

3

: to plan the use of

budget one's time

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bowgette "small leather pouch," derived from early French bouge "leather bag," from Latin bulga "leather bag" — related to bulge