Business, Legal & Accounting Glossary
An entry recording an amount owed, listed on the left-hand side or column of an account.
An accounting entry acknowledging sums that are owing.
A debit is a bookkeeping entry that results in the increase of an asset or a decrease in a liability or owners equity. A debit has the opposite effect of a credit, which either decreases an asset or increases a liability or owners equity. A debit (or credit) per se is neither positive or negative for the company’s financial position. For example, if the company receives cash (an asset), a debit is posted to the cash account, because a debit increases an asset. If the company receives a telephone bill (thereby incurring an expense, which decreases owners equity), a debit is posted to the utility expense account, because a debit decreases owners equity. Therefore, rather than consider a debit as something either good or bad, it’s better to think of a debit as merely a left-side bookkeeping entry (assets are listed on the left side of the balance sheet) and a credit as a right-side bookkeeping entry (where liabilities and owners equity can be found).
An accounting entry which results in either an increase in assets or a decrease in liabilities or net worth. opposite of credit.
To help you cite our definitions in your bibliography, here is the proper citation layout for the three major formatting styles, with all of the relevant information filled in.
Definitions for Debit are sourced/syndicated and enhanced from:
This glossary post was last updated: 21st November, 2021 | 0 Views.