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Meaning & use

indebtedness

noun·Academicformal

Last updated

UK/ɪnˈdetɪdnəs/
US/ɪnˈdeţɪdnəs/

Meanings

  1. noununcountablefinance

    The condition of owing money to someone, or the total amount that a person or country owes.

    Grammar: Uncountable: the nation's indebtedness.

    Patterns

    • indebtedness to someone

    The country's indebtedness grew sharply after the crisis.

    Household indebtedness has reached a record high.

    His indebtedness to the bank worried him.

  2. noununcountableformal

    A feeling of owing thanks to someone who has helped or influenced you.

    Grammar: Often followed by to: her indebtedness to her teacher.

    Patterns

    • indebtedness to someone for something

    She expressed her indebtedness to her mentor.

    The author acknowledges her indebtedness to earlier researchers.

    He felt a deep indebtedness to the family who took him in.

Common combinations

national indebtedness
National indebtedness limits what the government can spend.
personal indebtedness
Personal indebtedness is rising among young adults.
a sense of indebtedness
He felt a sense of indebtedness to his coach.
acknowledge indebtedness
The author acknowledged her indebtedness in the preface.
level of indebtedness
The level of indebtedness is a concern for lenders.

Synonyms and how they differ

debt
Debt is the everyday word for money owed, while indebtedness describes the state of being in debt.
obligation
Obligation is wider and may be a duty without money, whereas indebtedness implies you owe something specific.
gratitude
Gratitude is a warm feeling of thanks, while indebtedness stresses that you owe something in return.
liability
Liability is a legal or financial term for what you must pay, not a feeling of thanks.

Opposites

solvencyindependence

Word family

debt noun
money owed
debtor noun
a person who owes money
indebted adjective
owing money or thanks
debit noun
an entry showing money taken out

Commonly confused: indebtedness or indebted?

indebtedness vs indebted

Indebted is the adjective describing a person who owes, while indebtedness is the noun for the state.

Practice

In the preface, the author mentions her ___ to her old professor, whose ideas shaped the book.

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