public debt

/ˌpʌblɪk dɛt/
IPA guide

Other forms: public debts

Definitions of public debt
  1. noun
    the total of the nation's debts: debts of local and state and national governments; an indicator of how much public spending is financed by borrowing instead of taxation
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    type of:
    debt
    money or goods or services owed by one person to another
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