in debit

Meaning

1. 1phraseafter a verbBritish

   Describing a bank account that has less than zero in it, so that the holder owes the bank money.

   Grammar: Follows be, go or stay: the account is in debit, not an in debit account.

   Patterns

   • be in debit
   • go in debit
   • stay in debit

   My current account went in debit after the rent was taken out.

   If you stay in debit for too long, the bank may charge fees.

   She checked her balance and found she was in debit by fifty pounds.

Common combinations

be in debit

We were in debit for most of the winter.

go in debit

Your account will go in debit if that payment clears first.

remain in debit

The account remained in debit until his salary arrived.

in debit by

The business was in debit by several thousand pounds.

slip into debit

A forgotten subscription made her slip into debit.

Synonyms and how they differ

overdrawn

Overdrawn is the usual word in American English and is also common in British English, whereas in debit sounds more like bank-statement language.

in the red

In the red is informal and covers any person or business losing money, while in debit refers specifically to an account balance.

in arrears

In arrears means behind with a regular payment, which is different from simply having a negative balance.

Opposites

Word family

debit noun

an amount taken out of an account

debit verb

to take money from an account

debit card noun

a card that pays directly from your account

direct debit noun

an automatic regular payment from your account

Commonly confused: in debit or in credit?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “in debit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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