debt

noun

ˈdet 

1

: something owed : obligation

unable to pay off his debts

owe them a debt of gratitude

a criminal's debt to society

2

: a state of being under obligation to pay or repay someone or something in return for something received : a state of owing

deeply in debt to creditors

3

law and business : the common-law action for the recovery of money held to be due

4

: sin, trespass

Forgive us our debts.

debtless

ˈdet-ləs 

adjective

Synonyms

• arrearage
• arrears
• indebtedness
• liability
• liabilities
• obligation
• score

Examples of debt in a Sentence

He is trying to pay off gambling debts.

The company has run up huge debts.

Their debts are piling up.

He's been working three jobs in an attempt to get out of debt.

The company was in debt but is now turning a profit.

I am deep in debt.

I'm thousands of dollars in debt.

She went into debt to pay for college.

I'm worried that we will fall into debt.

Recent Examples on the Web

So even though more consumers in California are having trouble with credit card debt, data show mortgage delinquencies remain very low. —Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024

Latino adults were found more likely in every state to skip health care because of costs, with higher rates of medical debt. —Eleanore Catolico, Detroit Free Press, 19 Apr. 2024

Some millennials perceive life insurance as unaffordable, especially when burdened with student loan debt, housing costs, and other financial obligations. —Ebony Flake, Essence, 18 Apr. 2024

The amount of student loan debt is also a factor in the delaying of major life events. —Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024

Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the situation, reported that the dining chain is considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to restructure some of its debt. —Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2024

For those looking to get out of credit card debt, see if a balance transfer is right for you. —Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024

Instead the Biden administration is sticking these Americans with the bill of someone else’s student debt. —Collin Binkley, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024

But amid no track record of streaming profits at Hollywood giants and WBD’s need to pay down debt and manage costs, some wonder about the future of streaming profits. —Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dette, debte, from Anglo-French dette something owed, from Vulgar Latin *debita, from Latin, plural of debitum debt, from neuter of debitus, past participle of debēre to owe, from de- + habēre to have — more at give

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing debt

• bad debt
• consumer debt
• debt bondage
• debt burden
• debt load
• debt of gratitude
• debt-ridden
• debt service
• debt slavery
• debt to society
• deep in debt
• foreign debt
• in someone's debt
• national debt
• owe a debt of gratitude/thanks to
• owe them a debt of gratitude
• oxygen debt
• pay your debt to society

Kids Definition

debt

noun

ˈdet 

1

: sin entry 1 sense 1, trespass

2

: something owed to another : a thing or amount due

pay a debt of $10

3

: a condition of owing

hopelessly in debt

Legal Definition

debt

noun

1

: something owed: as

a

: a specific sum of money or a performance due another especially by agreement (as a loan agreement)

to pay the debts…of the United States

—U.S. Constitution art. I

a debt for alimony

b

: an obligation to pay or perform on another's claim

discharged the debt

compare asset, equity sense 4

Note: It is often up to the courts to decide what is or is not a debt under various laws. Courts disagree whether criminal restitution is a debt under the Bankruptcy Code.

— antecedent debt

: debt that is incurred prior to a property transfer paying or securing the debt compare preference

— bad debt

: a debt that cannot be collected

Note: An income tax deduction is allowed for bad debts.

— consumer debt

: debt that is incurred by an individual primarily for the purchase of consumer goods or services compare consumer credit

— judgment debt

: a debt established by a judgment and enforceable by a legal process (as an execution of judgment or attachment)

c

: a state of owing

in debt

d

: the aggregate of money owed

the national debt

2

: the common-law action for the recovery of a specified sum of money or a sum that can be simply and certainly determined

called also action of debt, writ of debt

compare assumpsit, covenant

Etymology

Old French dette, ultimately from Latin debita, plural of debitum debt, from neuter of debitus, past participle of debere to owe