/ ˈbʌdʒɪt; NAmE / noun , verb , adjective
■ noun
1.
[ C , U ] the money that is available to a person or an organization and a plan of how it will be spent over a period of time :
a monthly / an annual / a family budget
the education / defence budget (= the amount of money that can be spent on this)
an advertising budget of $2 million
a big-budget movie
We decorated the house on a tight budget (= without much money to spend) .
The work was finished on time and within budget (= did not cost more money than was planned) .
They went over budget (= spent too much money) .
budget cuts
2.
( BrE also Budget ) an official statement by the government of a country's income from taxes, etc. and how it will be spent :
tax cuts in this year's budget
a budget deficit (= when the government spends more money than it earns)
■ verb
budget (sth) (for sth) | budget sth (at sth) to be careful about the amount of money you spend; to plan to spend an amount of money for a particular purpose :
[ v ]
If we budget carefully we'll be able to afford the trip.
I've budgeted for two new members of staff.
[ vn ]
Ten million francs has been budgeted for the project.
The project has been budgeted at ten million francs.
➡ note at save
► budget·ing noun [ U ]
■ adjective
[ only before noun ] (used in advertising, etc.) low in price :
a budget flight / hotel
➡ note at cheap
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French bougette , diminutive of bouge leather bag, from Latin bulga leather bag, knapsack, of Gaulish origin. Compare with bulge . The word originally meant a pouch or wallet, and later its contents. In the mid 18th cent., the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in presenting his annual statement, was said “to open the budget”. In the late 19th cent. the use of the term was extended from governmental to other finances.