national debt
noun
: the total amount of money that the government of a country owes to companies, countries, etc.
Examples of national debt in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The latest monthly budget update on the national debt and its interest burden, shared on May 8, breaks down the government’s income and outgoings for the fiscal year so far, which began in October.
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Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 11 May 2026
Also, net interest on the national debt totaled $97 billion, the biggest expense of all categories excluding Social Security.
—Sean Conlon,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 11 May 2026
Federal spending/ national debt — 3%.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 6 May 2026
The national debt was $289 billion, debt to GDP was roughly 52%.
—Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
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Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 11 May 2026
Also, net interest on the national debt totaled $97 billion, the biggest expense of all categories excluding Social Security.
—Sean Conlon,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 11 May 2026
Federal spending/ national debt — 3%.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 6 May 2026
The national debt was $289 billion, debt to GDP was roughly 52%.
—Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for national debt
Cite this Entry
“National debt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/national%20debt. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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