budget

budget — noun

1. a financial plan that shows expected income and decides how money will be used f

1.nounB2
Definition

a financial plan that shows expected income and decides how money will be used for a person, group, or project

Example

Mei made a monthly budget before renting her first apartment.

monthly budget for personal spending

The school budget includes new laptops, bus fuel, and lunch costs.

Common collocations
  • monthly budget
  • annual budget
  • household budget
  • project budget
Synonyms
  • plan

    broader word; a budget is specifically about income and spending

  • financial plan

    close in meaning, but often sounds more formal and wider in scope

  • spending plan

    focuses more on expenses and less on total income

Grammar Patterns

a monthly/annual budget

set a budget for something

Usage Note

Often used for a month, a year, or a named project. Common verbs include set, plan, check, and stick to.

Common Mistakes

I made a budget to buy one coffee.
I set a budget for drinks this week.
A budget usually covers a period or a clear purpose, not one tiny purchase.

2. the money set aside for one activity, trip, or piece of work

2.nounB2
Definition

the money set aside for one activity, trip, or piece of work

Example

Nina's weekend budget was only three thousand dollars.

budget meaning money limit

Because flights rose in price, our hotel budget got smaller.

Common collocations
  • tight budget
  • limited budget
  • hotel budget
  • marketing budget
Synonyms
  • allowance

    often a fixed amount given for spending, especially to a person

  • funds

    more general; does not always suggest a limit

  • limit

    highlights the maximum amount rather than the money itself

Grammar Patterns

a tight budget

go over budget

stay within budget

Usage Note

Distinguish from noun sense 1: this sense is the money itself, not the full written plan.

Common Mistakes

I budgeted over budget for costumes.
The costumes went over budget.
'Over budget' describes the result, not the act of planning.

3. the amount of time, effort, energy, or another resource that has been set aside

3.nounC1
Definition

the amount of time, effort, energy, or another resource that has been set aside for something

Example

The editor left two extra days in the budget for rewrites.

budget used for time, not money

The farm's time budget left little room for breaks during harvest week.

Common collocations
  • time budget
  • energy budget
  • attention budget
  • effort budget
Synonyms
  • allocation

    more formal and often used in technical or business writing

  • quota

    often means a fixed required share rather than a planned amount

  • allowance

    can be similar, but often suggests permission or tolerance

Grammar Patterns

a time budget

an energy budget

leave budget for something

Usage Note

Usually appears with non-money nouns such as time, energy, attention, or staff effort.

4. Britain's yearly government announcement about planned tax income and spending o

4.nounC1
Definition

Britain's yearly government announcement about planned tax income and spending on public services

Example

In April, the UK government presents its Budget to Parliament.

British use: the Budget

The Budget promised more money for hospitals and rail lines.

Common collocations
  • Budget speech
  • Budget day
  • Budget measures
  • Budget announcement
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

the Budget

Budget speech

present the Budget

Usage Note

Usually written with a capital B in this British political sense and often understood as a yearly event.

budget — verb

budget — adjective

Word family

  • budgetary
    adjectiveC1
  • budgeting
    nounB2
  • budget-conscious
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun sense 1, a budget is more exact than a plan. A plan can describe any set of actions, but a budget focuses on money coming in and money going out. A forecast is different because it predicts what will probably happen, while a budget often shows what you want to allow or control. An estimate is usually smaller in scope: it is often one rough figure for a cost, not a full spending framework. If a school lists income, meal costs, and bus fuel for the year, that is a budget. If it guesses next year's heating bill, that is an estimate. If it predicts ticket sales, that is a forecast.

plan ↗forecast ↗estimate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • budget plan
  • budget target
  • budget gap

Adverbs

Phrases

  • set a budget
  • stick to a budget
  • balance the budget
  • go over budget

Prepositions

  • for
  • under budget
  • over budget
  • on a budget

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Budget came into English from Old French bougette, a word for a small leather bag, which itself goes back to Latin bulga. In Middle English, budget first named the bag itself. Later, important papers about government money were carried in such a bag, so the word shifted from the container to the financial statement inside it. From there, English widened the meaning to any plan for income and spending.