What does "budget" mean?
The amount of money or resources earmarked for a particular institution, activity or timeframe.
Budget
/ˈbʌd͡ʒ.ɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The amount of money or resources earmarked for a particular institution, activity or timeframe.
- Grammar: budget is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abundance, accounts, accounts payable, accounts receivable.
- Useful contrasts: artisanal bread, exclusive item, high-grade.
- Usage evidence: The French government has launched an online game that challenges taxpayers to balance the national budget.
How to use "budget"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "budget" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "budget" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "budget" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "budget" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "budget" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abundance" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "budget", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The amount of money or resources earmarked for a particular institution, activity or timeframe.
"limited budget"
- 2 a summary of intended expenditures along with proposals for how to meet them wordnet
- 3 A relatively small amount of available money.
"We're on a budget, so we can't afford to eat at that restaurant."
- 4 a sum of money allocated for a particular purpose wordnet
- 5 An itemized summary of intended expenditure; usually coupled with expected revenue.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A wallet, purse or bag. obsolete
"With that out of his bouget forth he drew / Great store of treasure, therewith him to tempt […]"
- 7 A compact collection of things. obsolete
"I set off, therefore, in high spirits, for I felt that I had done good work and was bringing back a fine budget of news for my companions."
- 8 A socket in which the end of a cavalry carbine rests. obsolete
Verb
- 1 To construct or draw up a budget. intransitive
"Budgeting is even harder in times of recession"
- 2 make a budget wordnet
- 3 To provide funds, allow for in a budget. transitive
"The PM’s pet projects are budgeted rather generously"
- 4 To plan for the use of in a budget. transitive
"The prestigious building project is budgeted in great detail, from wharf facilities to the protocolary opening."
Adjective
- 1 Appropriate to a restricted budget. not-comparable
"We flew on a budget airline."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The French government has launched an online game that challenges taxpayers to balance the national budget."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "budget"?
Common synonyms include: abundance, accounts, accounts payable, accounts receivable, accumulation, affordable.
How do you use "budget" in a sentence?
The French government has launched an online game that challenges taxpayers to balance the national budget.
How do you pronounce "budget"?
Pronounced /ˈbʌd͡ʒ.ɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰólǵʰ-o-s Proto-Celtic *bolgos Gaulish bolgābor. Latin bulgabor. Old French bouge Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tosder.? Latin -ittus Old French -ete Old French bougettebor. Middle English bogett English budget Recorded since 1432 as Middle English bogett, bouget, bowgette (“leather pouch”), borrowed from Old French bougette, the diminutive of bouge (“leather bag, wallet”) (also the root of bulge), itself from Late Latin bulga (“leather bag, bellow”), which derives from Gaulish *bolgā (compare Old Irish bolg (“bag”), Breton bolc’h (“flax pod”)), a common root with the Germanic family (compare Dutch balg (“bellows”)), from the Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ-. More at belly.