budget deficit

USAGE SUMMARY

"budget deficit" is a grammatically correct and usable term in written English.
It is a noun that refers to the amount by which expenditures exceed revenues in a given budget period. For example: "The country's budget deficit is one of the most pressing concerns for the new administration."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Ireland's budget deficit ballooned.

The New York Times

Ah yes, the budget deficit.

Independent

The budget deficit is widening.

The Economist

So is the budget deficit.

The Economist

The budget deficit is 11%,.

The Economist

Its budget deficit would soar.

The New York Times

Its budget deficit approaches $17m.

The Economist

The budget deficit is crippling.

The Economist

The budget deficit is shrinking?

The New York Times

The budget deficit?

The New York Times - Arts

And a budget deficit?

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Quantify the "budget deficit" with precise figures or percentages to provide context and emphasize its scale.

Common error

Avoid using "budget deficit" and national debt interchangeably. The deficit is the annual difference between spending and revenue, while the debt is the accumulation of past deficits.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "budget deficit" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. As noted by Ludwig, it's a noun referring to expenditures exceeding revenues.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

78%

Formal & Business

15%

Science

7%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "budget deficit" is a commonly used noun phrase that describes a situation where expenditures exceed revenues. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and widespread usage across various contexts. As highlighted by Ludwig's examples, the phrase appears most frequently in news and media, as well as in formal business and scientific contexts. When writing about this, remember to distinguish it from national debt, which represents the accumulation of past budget deficits. Alternatives such as ""government shortfall"" or "fiscal imbalance" can be used for variety, but "budget deficit" remains the most direct and widely understood term.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

government shortfall

Emphasizes the government's inability to meet its financial obligations.

fiscal imbalance

Highlights the lack of equilibrium between revenue and expenditure.

revenue shortfall

Focuses specifically on the lack of incoming funds compared to planned revenue.

expenditure excess

Emphasizes that the problem is due to too much spending, rather than too little revenue.

national debt increase

Indicates the growth of the overall debt as a consequence of the deficit.

public finance gap

Refers to the disparity in governmental financial resources.

economic deficit

A more broad term indicating a lack in economic terms.

financial deficit

General term highlighting a lack of monetary funds.

negative budget balance

Highlights a negative financial situation.

lack of funds

A simple way of talking about missing money.

FAQs

How to use "budget deficit" in a sentence?

You can use "budget deficit" to describe a situation where a government spends more money than it receives in revenue. For instance, "The government is trying to reduce the "government shortfall" by raising taxes and cutting spending".

What's the difference between "budget deficit" and "national debt"?

The "budget deficit" refers to the difference between a government's spending and revenue in a single year. "National debt", on the other hand, is the accumulation of all past deficits minus surpluses over time. One contributes to the other, since the more the government has a budget deficit in a year, the more it will increase its national debt.

What can I say instead of "budget deficit"?

You can use alternatives like ""government shortfall"", "fiscal imbalance", or "revenue shortfall" depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "budget deficit is increasing"?

Yes, it's grammatically correct. You can also say "the "budget deficit is widening"" or "the "budget deficit is growing"" to convey the same meaning.