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debt definition

debt (det)

noun

  1. something owed by one person to another or others
  2. an obligation or liability to pay or return something
  3. the condition of owing to be in debt
  4. Theol. a sin

Etymology: altered (after L) < ME & OFr dette < L debitum, neut. pp. of debere, to owe < de-, from + habere, to have: see habit

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

business debt definition - business

finance debt definition - finance

idioms debt idiom

law debt definition - legal

medical debt definition - medical

debt Synonyms

debt

n.

  1. That which is owed

    liability, obligation, mortgage, debit, score, pecuniary due, duty, arrears, deficit, note, bill, accounts outstanding, accounts collectible, debt of honor, encumbrance, commitment, outstandings, claim, indebtedness, arrearage, deferred payment, national debt, contingent liability, floating debt, funded debt, future debt, account, overdraft, amount due, red ink*, IOU*, chit*; see also lien, mortgage.

    Antonyms credit*, asset*, capital. *

  2. Capital covered by funded obligations

    outstanding issues, mortgages, bonds, shares, stocks, notes, securities, checks, debentures, indentures; see also money 1.

in debt

owing, liable, in the red, in arrears; see indebted.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

debt Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • gratitude: We offer here our public debt of gratitude to them for the work that they do to the church's great benefit.

Converse of object

  • owe: However, Ghosts actually owes a much bigger debt to his brilliant retelling of Rio Bravo, Assault on Precinct Thirteen.

Adjective modifier

  • unpayable: The reality is that they are condemned to a lifetime of poverty overshadowed by an inescapable burden of unpayable debt.

Modifies a noun

  • consolidation: Secured debt consolidation loans are the ones, which pay off some or all of your existing debts.

Noun used with modifier

  • credit: I always took cash, to pay off the credit card debt.
debt usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

debt quotes

Among my friends love is a payment. It is an old debt for a borrowing foolishly spent.

-Dunbar,William

A national debt, if it is not excessive, will be to us a national blessing.

-Hamilton, Alexander

'Is there no more?' She cries.'All this to love, and rapture's due, Must we not paya debt to pleasure too?'

-Rochester,JohnWilmot, 2nd Earl of

debt quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"debt." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/debt>

APA Style

debt. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/debt

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