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.

Reaching an annual deficit at or below 3% of GDP would stabilize and then gradually reduce the national debt as a share of GDP.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Currently, the weighted average interest rate on national debt is at 3.33%, up from its 2022 low External link of 1.6%.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

The U.S. national debt, now at 100.2% of GDP and nearing a level only reached during World War II.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

However, there haven’t been great improvements in the annual budget deficit and the national debt.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 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