deficit

C1 Topic:Economics & Markets

Also spelled deffersit, deffersits, and deffisit

US /ˈdɛfəsɪt/ UK /ˈdɛfɪsɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #18195

Meanings

1

noun
The amount by which spending is greater than the money coming in.

The government is trying to reduce the budget deficit.
2

noun
The amount by which something falls short of what is needed or expected.

There was a serious deficit in rainfall this year.
3

noun
In sports, the number of points by which a team or player is behind.

The team fought back from a ten-point deficit to win.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · the amount by which... shortfall

Opposites

surplus

Word family

Forms deficits

Derived forms antideficitneurodeficitnondeficit

Related forms defect defection defective defector deficiency deficient

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

deficit spending
government spending financed through borrowing rather than current revenue

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Deficit entered English in the late 18th century from Latin deficit, “it is lacking,” from the verb deficere. It was formerly used in inventories to record what was missing.

Etymology

From French déficit, from Latin dēficit. Related to defect.

*dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European déficit French dēficit Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Economics & Markets Money & Finance

External links

# deficit

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈdɛfəsɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈdɛfɪsɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 18195

## Meanings
1. The amount by which spending is greater than the money coming in.
2. The amount by which something falls short of what is needed or expected.
3. In sports, the number of points by which a team or player is behind.

## Examples
- The government is trying to reduce the budget deficit.
- There was a serious deficit in rainfall this year.
- The team fought back from a ten-point deficit to win.

## Synonyms
- shortfall

## Antonyms
- surplus

## Derived Forms
- antideficit
- neurodeficit
- nondeficit

## Related Forms
- defect
- defection
- defective
- defector
- deficiency
- deficient

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *dʰeh₁-
- Root: déficit
- Root: dēficit

## Etymology
From French déficit, from Latin dēficit. Related to defect.

## AI Etymology
deficit comes from French déficit, from Latin dēficit. Related to defect. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-, French déficit, Latin dēficit. Current senses include The amount by which spending is greater than the money coming in and The amount by which something falls short of what is needed or expected. English relatives and later formations include antideficit, neurodeficit, nondeficit, defect, defection.

## Topics
- Economics & Markets
- Money & Finance

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