national debt

noun

: the total amount of money that the government of a country owes to companies, countries, etc.

Examples of national debt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This trend is likely to continue as the national debt continues to spiral. Marc Guberti, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025 The president suggested the $5 million payments would go toward paying down the national debt. Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2025 As many as a half-dozen Republicans were openly wavering about extending tax cuts that could add $5 trillion to the national debt over a decade, according to Congress’ bookkeepers. Philip Elliott, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025 At $2 trillion in DOGE savings and 78 million tax-paying households, this is a $5,000 refund per household, with the remaining used to pay down the national debt. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for national debt

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“National debt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/national%20debt. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on national debt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!