budget

1 of 3

noun

bud·​get ˈbə-jət How to pronounce budget (audio)
1
chiefly dialectal : a usually leather pouch, wallet, or pack
also : its contents
2
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 secondScientific 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 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

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
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.
Noun
Synthetic bags are generally the best budget sleeping options for those camping in the heat. Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2024 After a few seasons of riding the pine, Nationwide has suited up for the 2024 NFL campaign in a big way, as the insurance company and its Hall of Fame spokesman Peyton Manning have leveraged nearly the entirety of its annual marketing budget to target football fans. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
When weighing the pros and cons of AI and looking to implement it into your tech stack, here are three critical elements to consider while budgeting and planning for the year ahead. Shane Buckley, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 Share this practice with children by involving them in budgeting for family or sibling gifts, teaching them financial responsibility. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
In terms of airlines, the top five carriers with the most delays were a mix of budget and non-budget airlines. Jessica Poitevien, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2021 On Friday, Jean-Jacques Annaud’s disaster drama Notre-Dame on Fire opens opposite Japanese rock opera anime Inu-Oh, directed by Masaaki Yuasa, as well as several mid-budget Chinese releases. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2023 See all Example Sentences for budget 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of budget was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near budget

Cite this Entry

“Budget.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/budget. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

budget

1 of 2 noun
bud·​get ˈbəj-ət How to pronounce budget (audio)
1
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 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

More from Merriam-Webster on budget

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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