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.
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 By 1957, Levittown was spending 16 percent of its annual school budget on debt service, more than the salaries of all of its junior-high and high-school teachers combined. Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025 In his 2018 book Principles for Navigating Big Debt Crises, Dalio cautioned that leaders mistake prosperity for immunity, and income must consistently outpace debt service costs. Dave Smith, Fortune, 9 Oct. 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 14 Nov. 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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