Word Study
deficit
OXFORD DICTIONARY
deficit, n.
1 the amount by which a thing (esp. a sum of money) is too small.
2 an excess of liabilities over assets in a given period, esp. a financial year (opp. SURPLUS).
1 the amount by which a thing (esp. a sum of money) is too small.
2 an excess of liabilities over assets in a given period, esp. a financial year (opp. SURPLUS).
Idiom
deficit financing financing of (esp. State) spending by borrowing. deficit spending spending, esp. by the State, financed by borrowing.
Etymology
F d{eacute}ficit f. L deficit 3rd sing. pres. of deficere (as DEFECT)
THESAURUS
deficit
absence, arrear, arrearage, arrears, back debts, back payments, balance, beggary, bouncing check, break, credit, decline, defalcation, default, defect, defectiveness, deferred payments, deficiency, deficit financing, delinquency, deprivation, destitution, difference, discontinuity, discrepancy, dollar gap, drought, epact, failure, falling short, famine, gap, hiatus, imperfection, impoverishment, inadequacy, incompleteness, inferiority, insufficiency, interval, lack, lacuna, loss, missing link, need, net, omission, outage, overdraft, remainder, scantiness, short measure, shortage, shortcoming, shortfall, slump, starvation, surplus, ullage, underage, want, wantageROGET THESAURUS
deficit
Incompleteness
N incompleteness, deficiency, short measure, shortcoming, insufficiency, imperfection, immaturity, half measures, defect, deficit, defalcation, omission, caret, shortage, interval, break, noncompletion, missing link, missing piece, missing part, gap, hole, lacuna, incomplete, imperfect, unfinished, uncompleted &c (complete), defective, deficient, wanting, lacking, failing, in default, in arrear, short of, hollow, meager, lame, halfand-half, perfunctory, sketchy, crude, mutilated, garbled, docked, lopped, truncated, in progress, in hand, going on, proceeding, incompletely, by halves, caetera desunt, caret.Debt
N debt, obligation, liability, indebtment, debit, score, bill, check, account (credit), arrears, deferred payment, deficit, default, insolvency, bad debt, interest, premium, usance, usury, floating debt, floating capital, debtor, debitor, mortgagor, defaulter, borrower, indebted, liable, chargeable, answerable for, in debt, in embarrassed circumstances, in difficulties, incumbered, involved, involved in debt, plunged in debt, deep in debt, over one's head in debt, over head and ears in debt, deeply involved, fast tied up, insolvent, minus, out of pocket, unpaid, unrequited, unrewarded, owing, due, in arrear, outstanding, past due, aes alienum debitorem leve gravius inimicum facit, neither a borrower nor a lender be.For further exploring for "deficit" in Webster Dictionary Online