Definitions

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.

Twenty-five years ago, interest payments on the national debt were 2% of GDP.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

The weighted average interest rate on national debt is 3.33%, up from 1.6% in 2022, with March’s net interest payment at $103 billion.

From Barron's • May 4, 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

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

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