noun

das Budget, -s

budget

Dies ist ein fester Plan für Geld. Es zeigt, wie viel man ausgeben darf oder für bestimmte Dinge zur Verfügung hat.

Definition & meaning

The word "Budget" refers to a financial plan that estimates income and expenditures for a specific period, such as a month or a year. It can be used in various contexts:

Personal or Household Finance: The amount of money an individual or family has available to spend on living costs, leisure, or specific items.
Business and Projects: A fixed amount of money allocated for a specific project, department, or business operation.
Public Finance: The official financial statement of a government (state budget), outlining how it intends to raise revenue through taxes and how it plans to spend that money on public services.

In a broader sense, it describes the total financial resources available for a particular purpose.

Grammar & Word origin

The word is a neuter noun (das Budget). Its genitive form is "des Budgets" and the plural is "die Budgets."

The term entered the German language in the 18th century from the French word budget. The French term itself originated from the Old French word bougette, which is a diminutive of bouge (leather bag or wallet). This historical connection stems from the leather pouch in which the British Chancellor of the Exchequer carried the financial documents and statements presented to Parliament.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

Haushaltsplan (often used for state or organizational budgets)
Etat (frequently used in political or large-scale business contexts)
Finanzplan (a general plan for finances)
Geldmittel (referring to the actual funds available)
Mittel (short form for financial resources)

Antonyms: While "Budget" does not have a direct linguistic opposite, it is often contrasted with terms describing financial states where planning has failed or resources are missing: