a sum of money allocated for a particular purpose
"the laboratory runs on a budget of a million a year"
a summary of intended expenditures along with proposals for how to meet them
"the president submitted the annual budget to Congress"
The amount of money or resources earmarked for a particular institution, activity or time-frame.
"The new marketing initiative will run on a strict budget that covers only three months of advertising."
In plain English: A budget is a plan that lists how much money you have and what you will spend it on.
"She carefully planned her monthly budget to make sure she could save for a new car."
Usage: As a noun, a budget refers to a specific plan outlining how much money will be spent on an activity over a set period. Use this term when you are discussing the allocated funds available before any actual spending occurs.
make a budget
"Before going on vacation, she sat down to budget her savings so they wouldn't run out before returning home."
To construct or draw up a budget.
"The city council voted to hire a consultant to budget for the new park renovation before breaking ground."
In plain English: To budget means to plan how much money you will spend so you don't run out before you need it again.
"We need to budget carefully so we can save for our vacation."
Usage: Use "budget" as a verb when you plan to spend money within a specific limit for a particular purpose, such as saying you will budget $50 for groceries this month. Do not confuse it with the noun form, which refers to the financial plan itself rather than the act of planning.
Of or relating to a budget.
"The department's annual report includes several budget recommendations for next year."
In plain English: A budget adjective describes something that is planned to be spent carefully so you don't run out of money.
"We bought a budget laptop to save money."
Usage: Use "budget" as an adjective only when describing expenses that are specifically limited by a financial plan, such as in a budget airline or budget hotel. Do not use it to mean cheap or inexpensive in general, as those items may simply be low-priced without being part of a strict allocation.
Derived from the Old French bougette, meaning a small bag, the term originally referred to a leather pouch used by medieval officials to carry receipts and expenses. It later evolved in English to denote an official financial plan or estimate of income and expenditure.