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Thesaurus
Word family
Forms
debts
Derived forms
antidebtdebt-financeddebt-for-naturedebt-freedebt-ladendebt-riddendebteddebteedebtholderdebtlessdebtlikedequity
From Middle English dette, dett, borrowed from Old French dete (French dette), from Medieval Latin dēbita, from Latin dēbitum (“what is owed, a debt, a duty”), neuter of dēbitus, perfect passive participle of dēbeō (“to owe”), contraction of *dehibeō (“I have from”), from de (“from”) + habeō (“to have”). Doublet of debit.
The unpronounced "b" in the modern English spelling is a Latinisation from the Latin etymon dēbitum.
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