B2 noun Neutral

Budget

/ˈbʌdʒɪt/

A plan that shows how much money a person or organization has and how it will be spent over a specific period.

Examples

3 of 5
1

I need to stick to my weekly grocery budget.

I must spend only the amount of money I planned for food each week.

2

The annual budget was presented to the parliament yesterday.

The yearly financial plan was shown to the government officials.

3

Let's find a budget hotel for our trip to London.

Let's find a cheap hotel for our vacation.

Word Family

Noun
budget
Verb
budget
Adjective
budgetary
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Memory Tip

Budget rhymes with 'fudge it' — but if you fudge your budget, you'll run out of money!

Quick Quiz

The project was completed on time and ______ budget.

Correct!

The correct answer is: within

Examples

1

I need to stick to my weekly grocery budget.

everyday

I must spend only the amount of money I planned for food each week.

2

The annual budget was presented to the parliament yesterday.

formal

The yearly financial plan was shown to the government officials.

3

Let's find a budget hotel for our trip to London.

informal

Let's find a cheap hotel for our vacation.

4

Fiscal policy is primarily managed through the national budget.

academic

Government money rules are mostly controlled by the country's spending plan.

5

The marketing department has exceeded its budget for the third quarter.

business

The advertising team spent more money than they were allowed between July and September.

Word Family

Noun
budget
Verb
budget
Adjective
budgetary

Common Collocations

tight budget a very limited amount of money
within budget not spending more than planned
over budget spending more than the planned amount
budget deficit spending more than you earn
annual budget a money plan for the whole year

Common Phrases

on a budget

with a limited amount of money to spend

stick to a budget

to spend only what you planned

balance the budget

to make sure spending does not exceed income

Often Confused With

Budget vs Economy

Economy refers to the system of trade and industry; budget refers to a specific spending plan.

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Usage Notes

It can be used as a noun, a verb ('to budget your money'), or an adjective ('a budget airline').

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Common Mistakes

Avoid saying 'on budget' when you mean 'within budget' (though 'on budget' is sometimes used for timing, 'within' is safer for money).

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Memory Tip

Budget rhymes with 'fudge it' — but if you fudge your budget, you'll run out of money!

📖

Word Origin

From Old French 'bougette', meaning a little leather bag.

Grammar Patterns

budget for + noun within/over budget on a budget

Quick Quiz

The project was completed on time and ______ budget.

Correct!

The correct answer is: within

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