public debt

American  

noun

1. national debt.

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public debt British  

noun

1. the total financial obligations incurred by all governmental bodies of a nation

2. another name for national debt

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Etymology

Origin of public debt

First recorded in 1715–25

Example Sentences

They typically lend to medium-size companies that can’t readily access public debt markets.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

It has more than $38 trillion in public debt, making it particularly vulnerable to any fallout from Japan’s policies.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

Japan has a long list of problems: sluggish growth, public debt that is the largest in the world, and a working population that is both ageing and shrinking.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

Poland must also contend with rising public debt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

The public debt had doubled in the ten years between 1860 and 1870 and now reached the enormous figure of over forty million dollars, nearly $150 for each inhabitant in the country.

From The South American Republics Part I of II by Dawson, Thomas C.