national debt

noun

Any money owed by the government of a nation.

Similar
government debtpublic debtsovereign debt
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Meanings

nounnational debt (countable and uncountable, plural national debts)

plural national debts

  1. countableuncountableeconomicsAny money owed by the government of a nation.

    The only reference to the national debt - the reduction of which was once a top priority for Republicans of all stripes - was a passing mention of the subject during a litany of Barack Obama's economic failings.

    2017 March 1, Anthony Zurcher, “Trump addresses Congress: A kinder, gentler president”, in BBC News

    Synonyms: government debt, public debt, sovereign debt

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny money owed by the government of a nation.

Similar
government debtpublic debtsovereign debt
Also see
government debtpublic debtsovereign debt

Translations

Arabic دَيْن سِيَادِيّ, دَيْن عَامّ
  • دَيْن سِيَادِيّ (dayn siyādiyy)money owed by the government of a nation
  • دَيْن عَامّ (dayn ʕāmm)money owed by the government of a nation
Bulgarian държа́вен дълг
  • държа́вен дълг (dăržáven dălg)money owed by the government of a nation
Chinese Cantonese 國債 /国债
  • 國債 /国债 (gwok³ zaai³)money owed by the government of a nation
Chinese Mandarin 國債 /国债
  • 國債 /国债 (guózhài)money owed by the government of a nation
Czech státní dluh
  • státní dluhmoney owed by the government of a nation
Dutch staatsschuld
  • staatsschuldmoney owed by the government of a nation
Esperanto ŝtatŝuldo
  • ŝtatŝuldomoney owed by the government of a nation
Estonian riigivõlg
  • riigivõlgmoney owed by the government of a nation
Finnish valtionvelka
  • valtionvelkamoney owed by the government of a nation
French dette publique
  • dette publiquemoney owed by the government of a nation
German Staatsverschuldung
  • Staatsverschuldungmoney owed by the government of a nation
Greek δημόσιο χρέος
  • δημόσιο χρέος (dimósio chréos)money owed by the government of a nation
Hindi राजकीय ऋण
  • राजकीय ऋण (rājkīya ŕṇ)money owed by the government of a nation
Hungarian államadósság
  • államadósságmoney owed by the government of a nation
Icelandic ríkisskuld
  • ríkisskuldmoney owed by the government of a nation
Irish fiach náisiúnta
  • fiach náisiúntamoney owed by the government of a nation
Italian debito pubblico
  • debito pubblicomoney owed by the government of a nation
Japanese 国債, 公債
  • 国債 (kokusai)money owed by the government of a nation
  • 公債 (kōsai)money owed by the government of a nation
Korean 국채, 공채
  • 국채 (gukchae)money owed by the government of a nation
  • 공채 (gongchae)money owed by the government of a nation
Latvian valsts parāds
  • valsts parādsmoney owed by the government of a nation
Lithuanian valstybės skola
  • valstybės skolamoney owed by the government of a nation
Norwegian Bokmål statsgjeld
  • statsgjeldmoney owed by the government of a nation
Polish dług publiczny, dług państwowy
  • dług publicznymoney owed by the government of a nation
  • dług państwowymoney owed by the government of a nation
Romanian datoria națională
  • datoria naționalămoney owed by the government of a nation
Russian госуда́рственный долг, национа́льный долг
  • госуда́рственный долг (gosudárstvennyj dolg)money owed by the government of a nation
  • национа́льный долг (nacionálʹnyj dolg)money owed by the government of a nation
  • госдо́лг (gosdólg)money owed by the government of a nation
Slovak štátny dlh
  • štátny dlhmoney owed by the government of a nation
Spanish deuda pública
  • deuda públicamoney owed by the government of a nation
Swahili deni la taifa
  • deni la taifamoney owed by the government of a nation
Swedish statsskuld
  • statsskuldmoney owed by the government of a nation
Thai หนี้สาธารณะ
  • หนี้สาธารณะ (nîi-sǎa-taa-rá-ná)money owed by the government of a nation
Turkish devlet borcu
  • devlet borcumoney owed by the government of a nation
Ukrainian держа́вний борг
  • держа́вний борг (deržávnyj borh)money owed by the government of a nation
Vietnamese nợ quốc gia, nợ chính phủ
  • nợ quốc giamoney owed by the government of a nation
  • nợ chính phủmoney owed by the government of a nation
  • nợ côngmoney owed by the government of a nation
  • quốc tráimoney owed by the government of a nation
Cite this entry
APA

national debt. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/national%20debt

MLA

“national debt.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/national%20debt. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “national debt,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/national%20debt.

Source: national debt on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.