debt

noun

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 adjective

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 For those looking to get out of credit card debt, see if a balance transfer is right for you. Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Nearly two decades after Michigan lawmakers established regulations for payday lending, those calling for changes cast the industry as predatory, trapping borrowers in a perpetual cycle of debt. Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 Some of the debt is also tied to pandemic spending measures authorized by Biden and former President Donald Trump. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2024 Farmers, many of whom are unable to get loans from banks due to a lack of collateral, say this financing system leaves them in a cycle of debt. Farai Mutsaka, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 The younger one, however, was addicted to drugs, dropped out of college and has built up debt trying to realize a dream of becoming a singer. Patrick Frater, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 Beijing has been scrambling to fix its real estate crisis since 2021, when Evergrande, the world’s most indebted developer, defaulted on its international debt. Laura He, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 Faced with a debt of about $20 million, the beleaguered institute in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood filed for bankruptcy last April. Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 After paying off the debt on the place, Trump’s share of the sale came to roughly $127 million, per documents from his fraud trial. Kyle Mullins, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'debt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of debt was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near debt

Cite this Entry

“Debt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debt. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

debt

noun
1
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 StatesU.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

More from Merriam-Webster on debt

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