Deficit
A shortfall or deficiency; the amount by which something, especially money, falls short of what is required or expected.
nounDeficit
A shortfall or deficiency; the amount by which something, especially money, falls short of what is required or expected.
nounImagine This
Imagine a city's annual budget with a hole in the middle of the cash ledger. The receipts fall short of expenditures by a large amount, creating a visible gap labeled 'Deficit'.
Sounds Like
DEF-uh-sit
Looks Like
looks like 'defect' (similar letters and the idea of a shortcoming)
Remember This
Deficit is often used in finance and economics to describe money shortages; its opposite is surplus.
Other Forms
Connect With
shortfall, deficiency, shortage, undersupply, gap, debt, budget balance
Note
Don't confuse deficit with 'debit' (money owed) or 'defection' (leaving). In finance, 'deficit' refers to shortfall, not the act of owing money on a loan; context matters (budget deficit, trade deficit, caloric deficit).
Study Deeper
- The federal budget showed a large deficit after tax cuts and increased spending.
- To lose weight, she created a caloric deficit by consuming fewer calories than she burned.
From Latin deficit- 'he is lacking, is missing', from deficere 'to fail, be deficient' (de- 'down' + facere 'to do' in origin).
Deficit reminds you of deficiency: both share the idea of something lacking. Think: de- (down) + fic- (fail/deficiency) + -it, i.e., a down-turned amount that is lacking.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
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nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
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nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
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Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).