budgetary

budgetary — adjective

1. used for plans, limits, or decisions about how much money can be used.

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

used for plans, limits, or decisions about how much money can be used.

Example

Budgetary limits forced the school to delay the science lab project.

budgetary limits collocation

The mayor announced budgetary changes after flood repairs raised local costs.

budgetary changes in public writing

Common collocations
  • budgetary limits
  • budgetary pressure
  • budgetary approval
  • budgetary cuts
  • budgetary problems
Synonyms
  • fiscal

    more formal; often used for government tax and public spending

  • financial

    broader; covers money matters in general, not only a budget plan

  • spending

    more everyday; common in phrases such as spending cuts

Grammar Patterns

budgetary + noun

Usage Note

Usually appears before nouns such as limits, pressure, approval, cuts, or problems, especially in government, school, and business writing. In everyday speech, people often say 'about the budget' instead.

Common Mistakes

My budgetary is small this month.
My budget is small this month.
'budgetary' is an adjective, so use 'budget' for the thing itself.
The bank gave us budgetary advice on investing.
The bank gave us financial advice on investing.
'budgetary' is about spending plans and limits, not money topics in general.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Budgetary', 'fiscal', and 'financial' all connect to money, but they are not interchangeable. 'Budgetary' focuses on the plan for available money and the limits that plan creates, so it often appears with words like 'pressure', 'approval', 'cuts', and 'limits'. 'Fiscal' is more formal and often belongs to government, tax, and public spending contexts; you are more likely to read about 'fiscal policy' or a 'fiscal year' than a 'budgetary year'. 'Financial' is the broad everyday adjective for money matters of any kind, including banks, debt, investment, and personal finances. If a school delays a building project because there is not enough money in the plan, the problem is 'budgetary'; if a bank gives advice, it is 'financial'; if a government changes tax and spending policy, it is usually 'fiscal'.

budgetary ↗fiscal ↗financial ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • budgetary limits
  • budgetary pressure
  • budgetary approval
  • budgetary cuts

Phrases

  • within budgetary limits
  • face budgetary pressure

Etymology

Late LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The adjective was formed in English from 'budget' and the suffix '-ary'. 'Budget' came into Middle English from Old French 'bougette', a word for a small bag, and it goes back further to Late Latin 'bulga'. Because money and account papers were carried in such a bag, 'budget' later came to mean a plan for income and spending, and 'budgetary' became the adjective for things connected with that plan.