What does "debt" mean?
An action, state of mind, or object one has an obligation to perform for another, adopt toward another, or give to another.
Debt
/dɛt/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An action, state of mind, or object one has an obligation to perform for another, adopt toward another, or give to another.
- Grammar: debt is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accountability, accountable, answerable for, arrearage.
- Useful contrasts: emergency funds, fat reserves, financial assets.
- Usage evidence: You need only ask him to pay the debt.
How to use "debt"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "debt" 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 "debt" 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 "debt" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "debt" 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 "debt" is acting as noun 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 "accountability" 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 "debt", 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 An action, state of mind, or object one has an obligation to perform for another, adopt toward another, or give to another. countable, uncountable
"Revenge the jeering and disdain'd contempt / Of this proud king, who studies day and night / To answer all the debt he owes to you / Even with the bloody payment of your deaths."
- 2 an obligation to pay or do something wordnet
- 3 The state or condition of owing something to another. countable, uncountable
"I am in your debt."
- 4 money or goods or services owed by one person to another wordnet
- 5 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. countable, uncountable
"Bolsheviki had repudiated the four-billion-dollar debt which the government of the Tsar had contracted with the bankers."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 the state of owing something (especially money) wordnet
- 7 An action at law to recover a certain specified sum of money alleged to be due countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
emergency fundsfat reservesfinancial assetsfinancial resource
Example
"You need only ask him to pay the debt."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "debt"?
Common synonyms include: accountability, accountable, answerable for, arrearage, arrears, arrears.
How do you use "debt" in a sentence?
You need only ask him to pay the debt.
How do you pronounce "debt"?
Pronounced /dɛt/.
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”). Doublet of debit. The unpronounced "b" in the modern English spelling is a Latinisation from the Latin etymon dēbitum.