budget

IPA/ˈbʌdʒ.ɪt/
KK[bˈʌdʒɪt]IPA/ˈbʌdʒ.ɪt/

budget — noun

  • budgetsingular
  • budgetsplural

1. a written plan that sets out what money will come in and where it should go duri

1.nounB1
Definition

a written plan that sets out what money will come in and where it should go during a certain period.

Example

The school board approved a new budget for library books and science kits.

budget for + purpose

After rent went up, Roya rewrote her monthly budget at the kitchen table.

monthly budget

Common collocations
  • draw up a budget
  • annual budget
  • household budget
  • budget for repairs
Synonyms
  • spending plan

    plain description of a plan for future costs

  • financial plan

    broader and more formal than everyday budget

  • estimate

    can focus on guessed costs without a full spending plan

Grammar Patterns

a budget for + project/purpose

draw up + a budget

Usage Note

Often names the plan itself, whether or not the money has been spent yet. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 1 is the plan on paper, while sense 2 is the amount available.

Common Mistakes

I made a budget of the party.
I made a budget for the party.
use 'budget for' when the plan is linked to an event or project.

2. the money set aside for a job, trip, person, or stretch of time.

2.nounB1
Definition

the money set aside for a job, trip, person, or stretch of time.

Example

Because our budget was small, we chose the guesthouse beside the station.

budget was small

The kitchen remodel stayed within budget by reusing the old cabinets.

stay within budget

Common collocations
  • tight budget
  • within budget
  • under budget
  • fit the budget
Synonyms
  • allowance

    often a regular amount given to one person

  • funds

    more formal and broader than an everyday budget

  • spending limit

    stresses the maximum amount you should not pass

Grammar Patterns

on a budget

within budget

fit + somebody's budget

Usage Note

Very common in fixed phrases such as 'on a budget', 'within budget', and 'under budget'. Unlike sense 1, this sense talks about the money available, not the document or plan.

Common Mistakes

We stayed in budget.
We stayed within budget.
English normally uses 'within budget' when the spending did not go over the limit.

3. in British politics, the yearly announcement explaining how the government expec

3.nounC1
Definition

in British politics, the yearly announcement explaining how the government expects to raise and use public money.

Example

Reporters waited outside Parliament for details from the spring Budget.

the spring Budget

The Chancellor used the Budget to promise more money for local buses.

use the Budget to + action

Common collocations
  • spring Budget
  • Budget speech
  • present the Budget
  • Budget measures
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

the Budget

present + the Budget

Budget speech

Usage Note

Usually refers to the formal annual event and statement, especially in the UK, and is often written with a capital B. Distinguish from sense 1: this is a public government announcement, not a private spending plan.

4. the part of your time, energy, or another resource that you decide to give to so

4.nounB2
Definition

the part of your time, energy, or another resource that you decide to give to something.

Example

The editor left a time budget for one more interview before printing.

time budget for + task

The workshop has a one-hour budget for questions at the end.

one-hour budget

Common collocations
  • time budget
  • screen-time budget
  • one-hour budget
  • budget for questions
Synonyms
  • allocation

    slightly more formal and often used in planning contexts

  • quota

    often sounds stricter and more official

  • allowance

    can refer to an amount allowed for a purpose

Grammar Patterns

a budget of + time/energy

a budget for + task

Usage Note

This sense is usually used with non-money resources such as time, effort, attention, or screen time. Unlike sense 2, the limit is not necessarily money.

Common Mistakes

I have a budget to finish the report.
I have a time budget for finishing the report.
this sense usually names the resource being limited.

budget — verb

budget — adjective

Word family

  • budgetary
    adjectiveC1
  • budget-conscious
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

'Budget' is the everyday word for the amount you can spend on one trip, project, or month. 'Allowance' often means a regular amount given to one person, such as pocket money, so it sounds more personal and routine. 'Funds' is more formal and can refer to money available inside a company, school, or public project. 'Spending limit' is the clearest choice when you mean a fixed maximum that should not be passed, especially for cards or online shopping. You might say, 'Our budget is small' for a holiday, 'the children get a weekly allowance', 'the lab received emergency funds', or 'the app shows your spending limit.'

budget ↗allowance ↗funds ↗spending limit

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • draw up a budget
  • on a tight budget
  • budget for repairs
  • budget hotel

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Budget' first meant a small leather bag. English borrowed it from Old French 'bougette', a diminutive of 'bouge' 'bag', and that goes back to Latin 'bulga'. In Britain, important finance papers were once carried in such a bag. People then began using 'budget' for the papers themselves, and later for the spending plan inside them. That history also helps explain the verb: when you budget, you sort out in advance what money, time, or effort will go where.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4 Verb