debt

/ˈdet/

Middle English dette, debte, from Anglo-French dette something owed, from Vulgar Latin *debita, from Latin, plural of debitum debt, from neuter of debitus, past participle of debēre to owe, from de- + habēre to have

noun

  1. something owed : obligation

  2. a state of being under obligation to pay or repay someone or something in return for something received : a state of owing

  3. the common-law action for the recovery of money held to be due

unable to pay off his debts

noun

  1. the amount of interest and sinking fund payments due annually on long-term debt

noun

  1. the amount of money that one owes

the company's large debt burden