debt
English · Thesaurus
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debt
- /ˈdɛt/
- [ˈdɛt]
- /ˈdɛbt/
- /ˈdɛp(t)/
Sounds like death (th-stopping) · Rhymes with -ɛt
Where it comes from
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 (“to owe”), contraction of *dehibeō (“I have from”), from de (“from”) + habeō (“to have”). Doublet of debit. Displaced native Old English eofot.
The unpronounced "b" in the modern English spelling is a Latinisation from the Latin etymon dēbitum.
noun debts · dette · det
- An action, state of mind, or object one has an obligation to perform for another, adopt toward another, or give to another. 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.
- The state or condition of owing something to another. I am in your debt.
- 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. Bolsheviki had repudiated the four-billion-dollar debt which the government of the Tsar had contracted with the bankers.
- An action at law to recover a certain specified sum of money alleged to be due
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: indebtedness, indebted, receivable, dette, liability, debtor, owed, borrow, borrowing, creditor, lending, obligation, duty, repayment, shortfall, mortgage
Translations
Every language
noun action, state of mind, or object one has an obligation to perform for another
| Español | deuda |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 人情債 /人情债 rénqíngzhài |
| Kiswahili | deni |
| Português | dívida, débito |
| Français | dette |
| Deutsch | Schuld, Verbindlichkeit, Verpflichtung |
| Italiano | debito, obbligo, impegno |
| Ελληνικά | χρέος chréos |
| Română | datorie |
| Русский | долг dolg, обя́занность objázannostʹ |
| العربية | دَيْن dayn |
noun state or condition of owing something to another
| Español | deuda |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 人情債 /人情债 rénqíngzhài |
| Português | dívida, débito |
| Deutsch | Schulden, Verbindlichkeit |
| Italiano | debito, buffo |
| Ελληνικά | χρέος chréos |
| Română | datorie |
| Русский | долг dolg, задо́лженность zadólžennostʹ |
| العربية | دَيْن dayn |
noun money that one person or entity owes or is required to pay to another
| Español | deuda, pufo, débito, adeudo, dita, jarana |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 빚 bit, 부채 buchae, 차금 chageum |
| 日本語 | 負債 fusai, 借金 shakkin |
| 中文 | 借款 jièkuǎn, 欠款 qiànkuǎn, 債務 /债务 zhàiwù |
| हिन्दी | क़र्ज़ qarz, ऋण ŕṇ |
| Kiswahili | deni class ji/ma |
| Português | dívida, débito |
| Français | dette |
| Deutsch | Schulden, Verbindlichkeit |
| Italiano | debito, buffo |
| Ελληνικά | χρέος chréos |
| Română | datorie |
| Русский | долг dolg, задо́лженность zadólžennostʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | nợ |
| العربية | دَيْن dayn, قَرْض qarḍ, قِرْض qirḍ |
| עברית | חוֹב khov |
Talk about this word "debt." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/debt. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. debt. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/debt "debt." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/debt.Cite this
@misc{debt_2026,
title = {debt},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/debt},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
