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
In 1971, the U.S. national debt stood at approximately $398 billion.
—
Sanford Mann, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
This is in addition to the longer-term risks associated with America's rising national debt.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
In reality, trillions will be added to the U.S. national debt over the next decade if Trump's tax cuts are extended without ways to pay for them.
—Susan Davis, NPR, 30 Apr. 2025
The supporters of the administration's cost-cutting efforts have characterized it as necessary to root out fraud and waste and to take a bite out of the national debt.
—John Kelly, Nancy Cordes, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for national debt
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.
Sanford Mann, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
This is in addition to the longer-term risks associated with America's rising national debt.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
In reality, trillions will be added to the U.S. national debt over the next decade if Trump's tax cuts are extended without ways to pay for them.
—Susan Davis, NPR, 30 Apr. 2025
The supporters of the administration's cost-cutting efforts have characterized it as necessary to root out fraud and waste and to take a bite out of the national debt.
—John Kelly, Nancy Cordes, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2025
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 7 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share