national debt

SEE SYNONYMS FOR national debt ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the financial obligations of a national government resulting from deficit spending.
Also called public debt.

Origin of national debt

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85

Words nearby national debt

national conference of christians and jews, national convention, national country party, national covenant, national curriculum, national debt, national economic development council, national endowment for the arts, national endowment for the humanities, national enterprise board, national forest

British Dictionary definitions for national debt

national debt

noun

the total outstanding borrowings of a nation's central government Also called (esp US): public debt

Cultural definitions for national debt

national debt

The debt of the government; the amount of borrowing by the government to meet expenditures exceeding tax revenues.

notes for national debt

A large national debt can inhibit growth and drive up interest rates.