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
America’s In Trillions of Dollars in Debt As of March 2025, the United States' national debt stands at approximately $36.56 trillion.
—
Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
The turmoil in bond prices comes at an important time, when Congress is weighing major tax cuts and a budget under which national debt would keep rising for years to come.
—Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2025
But this is the first honest attempt by a president to reduce the deficit and our national debt in a generation.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2025
While the European Commission can borrow more cheaply than most member states, the loans still count against national debt levels, which could pose a problem for highly indebted countries that do not want to spook markets.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for national debt
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.
Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
The turmoil in bond prices comes at an important time, when Congress is weighing major tax cuts and a budget under which national debt would keep rising for years to come.
—Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2025
But this is the first honest attempt by a president to reduce the deficit and our national debt in a generation.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2025
While the European Commission can borrow more cheaply than most member states, the loans still count against national debt levels, which could pose a problem for highly indebted countries that do not want to spook markets.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for national debt
Cite this Entry
“National debt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/national%20debt. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share