debt

[det] /dɛt/
noun
1.
something that is owed or that one is bound to pay to or perform for another:
a debt of $50.
2.
a liability or obligation to pay or render something:
My debt to her for advice is not to be discharged easily.
3.
the condition of being under such an obligation:
His gambling losses put him deeply in debt.
4.
Theology. an offense requiring reparation; a sin; a trespass.
Origin
1175-1225; Middle English dette < Old French < Latin dēbita (neuter plural, taken in VL as feminine singular), noun use of dēbitus, past participle of dēbēre to owe, contraction of *dēhabēre, equivalent to dē- de- + habēre to have, possess
Related forms
debtless, adjective
superdebt, noun
Synonyms
1. obligation, duty, due.
Examples from the web for debt
  • Money borrowed without security is a debt of honor which must be paid without fail and promptly as possible.
  • But there's one group for whom forgiveness has not been forthcoming: ordinary consumers struggling with piles of credit-card debt.
  • To those mired in debt—both students and faculty members—this column is for you.
  • Every second, it seems, someone in the world takes on more debt.
  • In the days before banks were well established, old silver could be traded as currency and held as collateral for debt.
  • Many consumers are feeling the weight of credit card debt.
  • Then we planned how we'd pay off our long-term debt over the next five years.
  • Nations need to curb their public debt to avoid stifling future growth.
  • There are frequently questions about which debt to pay off first.
  • Because it is only rarely denominated in their own currencies, foreign debt can be risky for developing countries.
British Dictionary definitions for debt

debt

/dɛt/
noun
1.
something that is owed, such as money, goods, or services
2.
bad debt, a debt that has little or no prospect of being paid
3.
an obligation to pay or perform something; liability
4.
the state of owing something, esp money, or of being under an obligation (esp in the phrases in debt, in (someone's) debt)
5.
a temporary failure to maintain the necessary supply of something: sleep debt, oxygen debt
Derived Forms
debtless, adjective
Word Origin
C13: from Old French dette, from Latin dēbitum, from dēbēre to owe, from de- + habēre to have; English spelling influenced by the Latin etymon
Word Origin and History for debt
n.

late 13c., dette, from Old French dete, from Latin debitum "thing owed," neuter past participle of debere "to owe," originally, "keep something away from someone," from de- "away" (see de-) + habere "to have" (see habit). Restored spelling after c.1400.

debt in Medicine

debt (dět)
n.
Something that is deficient or required to restore a normal state.

debt in Culture

debt definition


Money, goods, or services owed by an individual, firm, or government to another individual, firm, or government.

debt in the Bible

The Mosaic law encouraged the practice of lending (Deut. 15:7; Ps. 37:26; Matt. 5:42); but it forbade the exaction of interest except from foreigners. Usury was strongly condemned (Prov. 28:8; Ezek. 18:8, 13, 17; 22:12; Ps. 15:5). On the Sabbatical year all pecuniary obligations were cancelled (Deut. 15:1-11). These regulations prevented the accumulation of debt.

Idioms and Phrases with debt

debt

see: head over heels (in debt)