surplus budget

USAGE SUMMARY

"surplus budget" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It refers to a budget that has excess funds or income left over after all expenses have been paid. One example of using this phrase in a sentence is: "Due to careful financial planning, the company was able to achieve a surplus budget for the fiscal year."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

The alternatives to deficit spending are a balanced budget or a surplus budget, when government revenue is at least as much as its spending.

The New York Times

Unlike Argentina, they said, Turkey has closely followed a prescription for overhauling its economy and generating surplus budget revenues to lower public debt.

The New York Times

Describes a CNN poll before Clinton's seventh address which indicated that 38% of the public wanted the surplus budget money spent on education or Social Security (both Democrat proposals), while only 9% wanted to cut taxes (a Republican standby).

The New Yorker

Morrison attempted on Tuesday to issue his own message of reassurance, saying the government would be in a position to deliver a surplus budget before going to the polls next year.

The Guardian

In early February, a piece of paper posted on the building's outer wall itemized the town's income, expenditures, and surplus budget, part of which goes to scholarships for university students.

The New Yorker

He insists this cut can be funded using the "operating surplus" budget sitting in TfL's coffers – a claim flatly rejected by the body chaired by Johnson, which says every penny is accounted for with regard to improving London's transport system.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

I'm the only guy that gave you four surplus budgets out of the eight I sent".

The New York Times

a) "Now, people ask me all the time how we got four surplus budgets in a row.

The New Yorker

The reason for this, I believe is during the previous Liberal administration the government run surplus budgets for 10 years and our banking system is highly regulated.

BBC

We had four surplus budgets in a row.

Huffington Post

People ask me all the time how we delivered four surplus budgets.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing a "surplus budget", be specific about the period (e.g., fiscal year, quarter) and the entity (e.g., company, government) to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid treating a "surplus budget" as an inherently positive goal without considering the context. A large surplus might indicate underinvestment in essential services or infrastructure.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "surplus budget" primarily functions as a noun phrase, acting as a subject, object, or complement within a sentence. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. It refers to a financial situation where income exceeds expenditure, providing a concise way to describe this economic state.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "surplus budget" is a grammatically correct and commonly used noun phrase referring to a situation where income exceeds expenditures. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and provides numerous real-world examples, predominantly from news and media sources. While it is most frequently employed in neutral contexts, it is versatile enough for formal or professional settings. When using the phrase, be specific to avoid ambiguity. Keep in mind a that a "surplus budget" doesn't have to be necessarily positive, as it could indicate underinvestment. Related phrases such as "budget surplus" or "fiscal surplus" provide alternative ways to express the same concept.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

budget surplus

Reverses the order of the words, maintaining the same meaning.

budgetary surplus

Replaces "budget" with "budgetary", an adjective form, maintaining the same meaning.

excess budget

Replaces "surplus" with "excess", highlighting the overage.

positive budget balance

Uses a descriptive phrase to indicate a surplus, focusing on the balance.

budget with a surplus

Adds a prepositional phrase for clarity but means the same thing.

fiscal surplus

Replaces "budget" with "fiscal", emphasizing the financial aspect.

revenue surplus

Focuses on revenue exceeding expenditures.

excess of revenue over expenditure

A more detailed and formal way of expressing the same idea.

budget overage

Uses a single word to describe the amount exceeding the budgeted amount.

cash surplus

Highlights that the surplus is in the form of cash.

FAQs

How can I use "surplus budget" in a sentence?

You can use "surplus budget" to describe a situation where income exceeds expenditures, such as: "The government announced a significant "budget surplus" due to increased tax revenues."

What is the difference between "surplus budget" and "budget deficit"?

"Surplus budget" indicates that a government or organization has more income than expenses, while a "budget deficit" means that expenses exceed income.

Are "budget surplus" and "surplus budget" interchangeable?

Yes, "budget surplus" and "surplus budget" are generally interchangeable and mean the same thing: a situation where revenues exceed expenditures. The phrase "budget surplus" is more common.

What does it mean when a government reports a "surplus budget"?

When a government reports a "surplus budget", it means that its income from taxes and other sources was greater than its spending during that period. It could also mean the government can plan to invest more money into infrastructures, tax cuts, or social programs.