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debt

Syllabification: (debt)
Pronunciation: /det/

Translate debt | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of debt

noun

  • something, typically money, that is owed or due:I paid off my debts a way to reduce Third World debt
  • the state of owing money:the firm is heavily in debt
  • [usually in singular] a feeling of gratitude for a service or favor:we owe them a debt of thanks

Phrases

be in someone's debt

owe gratitude to someone for a service or favor.

Origin:

Middle English dette: from Old French, based on Latin debitum 'something owed', past participle of debere 'owe'. The spelling change in French and English was by association with the Latin word

debt in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of debt in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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