Jump To:

• budget
  budget

  noun

  an estimate, often itemized, of expected income and expense for a given period in the future.
• Budget
  Budget

  noun

  an estimate of British government expenditures and revenues and the financial plans for the ensuing fiscal year presented annually to the House of Commons by the Chancellor of the Exchequer

budget

American  

[buhj-it] / ˈbʌdʒ ɪt /

noun

• budgets
  plural

1. an estimate, often itemized, of expected income and expense for a given period in the future.

2. a plan of operations based on such an estimate.

3. an itemized allotment of funds, time, etc., for a given period.

4. the total sum of money set aside or needed for a purpose.

   the construction budget.

5. a limited stock or supply of something.

   his budget of goodwill.

6. Obsolete. a small bag; pouch.

---

adjective

1. reasonably or cheaply priced.

   budget dresses.

verb (used with object)

• budgets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• budgeted,
  past participle,  past
• budgeting
  present participle

1. to plan allotment of (funds, time, etc.).

2. to deal with (specific funds) in a budget.

verb (used without object)

• budgets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• budgeted,
  past participle,  past
• budgeting
  present participle

1. to subsist on or live within a budget.

budget ¹ British  

/ ˈbʌdʒɪt /

noun

1. an itemized summary of expected income and expenditure of a country, company, etc, over a specified period, usually a financial year

2. an estimate of income and a plan for domestic expenditure of an individual or a family, often over a short period, such as a month or a week

3. a restriction on expenditure (esp in the phrase on a budget )

4. (modifier) economical; inexpensive

   budget meals for a family

5. the total amount of money allocated for a specific purpose during a specified period

6. archaic a stock, quantity, or supply

---

verb

1. (tr) to enter or provide for in a budget

2. to plan the expenditure of (money, time, etc)

3. (intr) to make a budget

Budget ² British  

/ ˈbʌdʒɪt /

noun

1. an estimate of British government expenditures and revenues and the financial plans for the ensuing fiscal year presented annually to the House of Commons by the Chancellor of the Exchequer

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• budgeter
  noun
• prebudget
  noun
• rebudget
  verb (used with object)
• budgetary
  adjective
• nonbudgetary
  adjective
• prebudgetary
  adjective
• pro-budgeting
  adjective
• unbudgeted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• budgets
  plural

Participles

• budgeting
  present
• budgeted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• budget
  simple
• budgets
  simple
• have budgeted
  perfect
• has budgeted
  perfect
• am budgeting
  progressive
• are budgeting
  progressive
• is budgeting
  progressive
• have been budgeting
  perfect progressive
• has been budgeting
  perfect progressive

Past

• budgeted
  simple
• had budgeted
  perfect
• was budgeting
  progressive
• were budgeting
  progressive
• had been budgeting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will budget
  simple
• will have budgeted
  perfect
• will be budgeting
  progressive
• will have been budgeting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of budget

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bowgett, from Middle French, bougette, from bouge “bag” (from Latin bulga; see bulge) + -ette -ette )

Explanation

A budget is a sum of money set aside and divided up to cover particular expenses. Like allotting certain amounts for food, rent, movies, and manicures every month to make sure you don't run out of cash. From the Middle French bougette, the noun budget translated to “leather pouch” when it was first used in the early 15th century. Perhaps a leather pouch to hold gold coins? It wasn’t until 1733 that the word took on the more specific financial meaning it has nowadays. You can budget all sorts of things, including time, money, and energy. Every year, Congress tries to balance the federal budget — but that's no easy task.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

budget Budget budgets budgeted budgeting

A certain type of worker gets special attention: “Here are your high performers who are underpaid. If you have any budget for raises, these are the first ones you should fix.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Also, curved walls like this are so expensive; architects never get a budget to do stuff like that.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

This is partly because of various government top-ups to the budget and falling pupil numbers in some areas.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Once the budget passed, lawmakers’ staff leaned on Navy officials to award Navatek the money.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

It seems silly to give someone a gift in July that’s wrapped in holiday paper, but it’s all there is and I’ve spent my candy and records budget on the fabric, buttons, and zipper.

From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson

She said she’ll be tracking a hearing on Monday run by the House Budget Committee that looks at the need for a fiscal commission.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 20, 2026

Earlier this week, the Pentagon told Congress that the cost of the war has climbed to $42 billion, a bit over the most recent estimates of $38 billion from the Congressional Budget Office.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

The White House Office of Management and Budget promulgated the first government-wide standards in 1977, which have been used by every administration during the past five decades.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office also estimates that at least five years will be needed to replace missile interceptors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

“Right there is James Atlas, the writer from The New Yorker. Over here, that’s Frank Raines. He is the head of the Office of Management and Budget in the Clinton administration.”

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Inequities remain, but resources alone can’t explain disparate outcomes among schools serving similar children with similar budgets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Little wonder that car makers are jealously eyeing soaring defence budgets across Europe.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

That’s crucial right now, because while rising retail gasoline prices have squeezed Americans’ budgets, it’s the record high price of diesel that is more concerning for the U.S. economy.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 20, 2026

I have voted for multiple budgets that have maintained our police staffing, sought to expand our police staffing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

On small things I was thrifty enough; no expenditures on “carousing,” flashy clothes, or any of the other indulgences that are often smugly believed to undermine the budgets of the poor.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Earlier this year, Freddie Mac announced that, for mortgages with applications received on or after Jan. 4, 2027, the minimum replacement-reserve allocation will rise to 15% from 10% of annual budgeted assessment income.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

Current estimates indicate that the second correction and orbital insertion should both require less fuel than originally budgeted.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

“I’d be very surprised if people can say that they budgeted accurately in 2026. I don’t think most people did.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

The cost of these two clearances alone has been budgeted at £20m by the Environment Agency - although the Kidlington project has come in under the original £7.3m contract.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Fadi looked at his budgeted options—cheeseburger minis with French fries or something called a “bean and cheese burrito.”

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai

We’ve broken down why traditional budgeting tips might not work today — and what to do instead.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

They have cut out family trips and started meal-planning and budgeting to save money.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

In a 2022 Cosmopolitan cover interview, Haddish detailed the frugal budgeting she relied on to buy her very first house after appearing on “The Carmichael Show” in 2015.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Around 83% of respondents supported additional payments to help with cooking, 80% for budgeting, and 78% for washing.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

She had traveled for stories a few times in the past—down to Columbus, to investigate state budgeting cuts; up to Ann Arbor, when a former Shaker student had started at quarterback in the Michigan-OSU game.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Related Words

• account
• allocation
• cost
• total