debit
Intermediate (B1)
IPA: /ˈdɛbɪt/
KK: /ˈdɛbɪt/
noun
Definition
An entry in accounting that represents money owed or a reduction in assets, typically recorded on the left side of an account.
Example
The debit for the purchase was recorded in the company's financial statements.
Conversation
I noticed a strange debit on my bank statement this month.
Really? That sounds frustrating; did you figure out what it was for?
Yeah, it was just a small charge I forgot about, but it caught me off guard.
At least it wasn't anything serious, but those unexpected debit entries can be annoying!
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
charge
cost
expense
Antonyms
credit
gain
profit
transitive verb
Definition
To take money from a bank account or to record a sum on the left side of an account in bookkeeping.
Example
The bank debited my account for the monthly service fee.
Tense Forms
Past: debited
Past Participle: debited
Conversation
Did you see that my bank debited my account again?
Oh no, what happened this time?
They charged me for an automatic payment I forgot about.
Root Explanation
Debit → It is derived from the Latin word "debere" (meaning to owe) and the suffix "-it" (used in accounting to denote an entry). The term "debit" refers to an entry recording an amount owed or a decrease in assets.
Memory Tip
Think of the word 'debere' which means to owe, and remember that a debit is an entry that shows what you owe or a decrease in your assets.
Visually Confused Words
debt
redebit
demit
deity
deist
debut