Meaning & use
debit
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablefinance
A record in an account of money taken out or owed, which lowers the balance.
Grammar: Plural debits: the debits on my statement.
Patterns
- a debit to an account
- debits and credits
The statement showed a debit of fifty dollars for the monthly fee.
Every debit in the ledger must match a credit somewhere else.
I spotted an unexpected debit on my account.
verbtransitivefinance
To take money from a bank account or to record a charge against it.
Grammar: Takes the account or the amount: the bank debited my account.
Patterns
- debit something from something
- debit someone's account
The bank debited the rent from my account on Friday.
They debited fifty dollars by mistake.
The system will debit your account at the end of the month.
nouncountablefigurative
A disadvantage or negative point, set against the advantages.
Grammar: Figurative; seen in the contrast of debit against credit.
Patterns
- on the debit side
On the debit side, the apartment has no parking.
The slow service was the only debit in an otherwise good meal.
Every plan has a debit to weigh against its benefits.
noununcountableinformal
Short for debit card, a card that pays directly from your bank account.
Grammar: Often used as a modifier or in the phrase pay by debit.
Patterns
- pay by debit
Do you want to pay with credit or debit?
Most shops here accept debit.
She used her debit to buy lunch.
Word forms
| plural | debits |
|---|---|
| third person singular | debits |
| past tense | debited |
| past participle | debited |
| -ing form | debiting |
Common combinations
- debit card
- I paid for the groceries with my debit card.
- direct debit
- The electricity bill is paid by direct debit.
- debit an account
- The bank will debit your account on Monday.
- debit entry
- The accountant fixed a wrong debit entry.
- on the debit side
- On the debit side, the plan is very expensive.
- debit balance
- The account showed a debit balance at month end.
Synonyms and how they differ
- charge
- Charge is broader and covers any fee or cost, whereas debit is specifically an entry that reduces an account.
- withdrawal
- A withdrawal is when you take money out yourself, while a debit can also be done by others, such as a company.
- deduction
- Deduction is an amount taken off a total, such as pay, rather than an account entry.
- liability
- A liability is a debt or obligation, and is not itself the account entry.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: debit or debut? debit or credit?
debit vs debut
A debut is a first public appearance, pronounced with a long u and a silent t, and is not linked to money.
debit vs credit
Credit is the opposite entry that adds to an account, whereas a debit takes away.
Practice
When the bank takes money out of your account to pay a bill, it will ___ your account.
Choose one answer.
To debit an account is to take money from it. To credit would add money, and audit means to inspect the books.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “debit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.