Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
Nearby Entries
deficit - 9 dictionary results
United States Deficit
 Experience the Challenging World of Currency Trading. Free Demo Account
 www.Forex.com

def⋅i⋅cit

  [def-uh-sit; Brit. also di-fis-it]
Use deficit in a Sentence
–noun
1. the amount by which a sum of money falls short of the required amount.
2. the amount by which expenditures or liabilities exceed income or assets.
3. a lack or shortage; deficiency.
4. a disadvantage, impairment, or handicap: The team's major deficit is its poor pitching.
5. a loss, as in the operation of a business.
Origin:
1775–85; < L dēficit (it) lacks, 3rd pers. sing. pres. indic. of dēficere; see deficient
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To deficit
def·i·cit   (děf'ĭ-sĭt)   
n.  
    1. Inadequacy or insufficiency: a deficit in grain production.
    2. A deficiency or impairment in mental or physical functioning.
    3. An unfavorable condition or position; a disadvantage: rallied from a three-game deficit to win the playoffs.
    4. The amount by which a sum of money falls short of the required or expected amount; a shortage: large budget deficits.
    5. A business loss.
    1. The amount by which a sum of money falls short of the required or expected amount; a shortage: large budget deficits.
    2. A business loss.

[French déficit, from Latin dēficit, it is lacking, third person sing. present tense of dēficere, to fail, be lacking; see defect.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Deficit

Def"i*cit\, n. [Lit., it is wanting, 3d person pres. indic. of L. deficere, cf. F. d['e]ficit. See Defect.] Deficiency in amount or quality; a falling short; lack; as, a deficit in taxes, revenue, etc. --Addison.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Language Translation for : deficit
Spanish: déficit,
German: das Defizit,
Japanese: 赤字
More Translations »

deficit

A shortage, especially the amount by which a sum of money falls short of what is required; a debt.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

deficit 
1782, from Fr. deficit (1690), from L. deficit "it is wanting," an introductory word in clauses of inventory, third pers. sing. pres. indicative of deficere "to be deficient" (see deficient).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

Deficit

A situation in which liabilities exceed assets, expenditures exceed income, imports exceed exports, or losses exceed profits.

Investopedia Commentary

A deficit is the opposite of a surplus. If a country imports more than it exports, it is said to have a trade deficit. Many scholars feel that a trade deficit can not be sustained in perpetuity.

Related Links

Understanding The Capital And Financial Accounts In The Balance Of Payments
What Is The Balance Of Payments?
Current Account Deficits

See also: Asset, Income, Liability, Perpetuity, Profit, Surplus

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
Cite This Source

deficit

  1. A negative retained earnings balance. A deficit results when the accumulated losses and dividend payments of a business exceed its earnings.
  2. See operating loss.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source

Main Entry: de·fi·cit
Pronunciation: 'def-(&-)s&t; Brit also di-'fis-&t, 'dE-f&-s&t
Function: noun
: a deficiency ofa substance deficit>; also : a lack or impairment of a functional capacity deficits> deficit>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source

deficit def·i·cit (děf'ĭ-sĭt)
n.

  1. A lack or deficiency of a substance.
  2. A lack or impairment in mental or physical functioning.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see deficit on Thesaurus | Reference
United States Deficit
 Experience the Challenging World of Currency Trading. Free Demo Account
 www.Forex.com