Etymology
From Middle English dette, dett, borrowed from Old French dete (French dette), from Medieval Latin dēbita, from Latin dēbitum (what is owed, a debt, a duty), neuter of dēbitus, perfect passive participle of dēbeō (I owe), contraction of *dehibeō (I have from), from de (from) + habeō (I have). The unpronounced "b" in the modern English spelling is a Latinisation from the Latin etymon dēbitum.
Noun
debt (countable and uncountable, plural debts)
- An action, state of mind, or object one has an obligation to perform for another, adopt toward another, or give to another.
- The state or condition of owing something to another.
- I am in your debt.
- (finance) Money that one person or entity owes or is required to pay to another, generally as a result of a loan or other financial transaction.
- The national debt can be measured in the trillions of dollars.
- (law) An action at law to recover a certain specified sum of money alleged to be due.
Derived terms
- acquisition debt
- bonded debt
- carbon debt
- collateralized debt obligation
- debt ceiling
- debt collection
- debt enforcement
- debt-equity ratio
- debt exchange
- debt-financed
- debt-free
- debt instrument
- debt obligation
- debt relief
- domestic debt
- external debt
- foreign debt
- government debt
- national debt
- nonfinancial debt
- public debt
- sovereign debt
- technical debt
- unsecured debt
Related terms
- debit
- debitor
- debtor
- indebted
Credits
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