debit

1 of 2

verb

deb·​it ˈde-bət 

debited; debiting; debits

transitive verb

: to enter upon the debit side of an account : charge with a debit

debit

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a record of an indebtedness

specifically : an entry on the left-hand side of an account constituting an addition to an expense or asset account or a deduction from a revenue, net worth, or liability account

b

: the sum of the items entered as debits

2

: a charge against a bank deposit account

3

: drawback, shortcoming

Synonyms

Noun

• disadvantage
• disbenefit
• downside
• drawback
• handicap
• incommodity
• liability
• minus
• negative
• strike

Examples of debit in a Sentence

Verb

The bank mistakenly debited my account $200!

Your account will automatically be debited for the amount of your insurance bill every month.

Noun

I forgot to enter some of the debits in my bank account register.

The account's credits were added and the debits subtracted.

a $30 debit for groceries

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The effect of this means merchants would no longer have a valid ACH number to debit the consumer’s bank account, so that person might accidentally bounce payments and lose access to critical services. —Alexandre Gonthier, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024

Beginning Thursday, Bank of America credit and debit cardholders who are also part of the Starbucks Rewards loyalty program will get 2% cash back and one additional star for every $2 spent on orders through the coffee chain’s app. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 15 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin debitum debt

First Known Use

Verb

1668, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1746, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing debit

• debit card
• direct debit
• on the debit side

Kids Definition

debit

1 of 2 verb

deb·​it ˈdeb-ət 

: to enter as a debit : charge with or as a debt

debit

2 of 2 noun

: an entry in an account representing an amount paid out or owed