national debt

NOUN

money owed by country

Synonyms

WEAK

budget deficit funded debt government debt public debt

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The U.S. national debt now exceeds 100% of GDP, on the way toward breaking the record set in 1946.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

And that understates the savings, because it also would have cut the $9 trillion in net interest the government has to pay on the national debt over that period.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

The national debt, meanwhile, topped $39 trillion in March.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Sweden’s national debt office will auction a combined 8 billion Swedish kronor in June 2032- and October 2036-dated government bonds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

A reasonable estimate of the additional costs for capitalizing a gradual emancipation program would have increased the national debt to about $125 million.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis