debt
UK: dɛt | US: dɛt
n. a sum of money owed to another person or entity
n. an obligation to pay or repay something, often as a moral duty
debt = deb<owe> + t (silent letter, no semantic value)
- deb (from Latin debitum, meaning "owed" or "something owed")
- t (a silent letter added in Middle English to reflect the Latin root but not pronounced)
Etymology Origin:
The word "debt" originates from the Latin debitum ("something owed"), which evolved into Old French as dette. In Middle English, scholars reintroduced the silent "b" to align the spelling with its Latin root, even though the pronunciation remained /dɛt/. This reflects a common pattern in English where spelling was artificially Latinized, creating discrepancies between spelling and pronunciation.
He struggled to pay off his student debt.
The company has accumulated significant debt over the years.
She felt a moral debt to help her community.
National debt is a major concern for economists.
Forgiveness of debt can relieve financial stress.