What does budgeted mean?
"Budgeted" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "budget," meaning to plan in advance how money, time, or other resources will be allocated over a given period. When someone has budgeted an amount, they have deliberately assigned it to a particular purpose — salaries, travel, materials — rather than spending it haphazardly. The word also works adjectivally in accounting contexts, as in "the budgeted figure" versus "actual expenditure." Its register leans formal and professional: it appears constantly in corporate reports, government documents, project management, and personal finance advice. Connotations are generally positive, implying prudence, discipline, and foresight, though phrases like "we hadn't budgeted for that" can signal an unwelcome surprise or shortfall. Etymologically charming, "budget" derives from the Old French "bougette," meaning a small leather bag, so to have "budgeted" something is, in origin, to have kept it safely inside one's purse.
Planned or allocated money, time, or resources in advance for particular purposes; having been accounted for within a financial plan.
"They had budgeted generously for legal fees, so the unexpected costs were absorbed easily."
Often followed by 'for' to indicate the purpose of the allocation: 'budgeted for inflation'.
Included in or determined by a financial plan; contrasted with actual figures in accounting contexts.
"Actual spending came in well below the budgeted amount."
Common in accounting and project management, typically paired with 'amount', 'cost', 'figure', or 'expenditure'.
'Budget' literally means 'little leather bag' — it comes from Old French 'bougette', so when you say you've budgeted something, you're etymologically putting coins back in your purse.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of budgeted
"Budgeted" derives from "budget," which entered English in the 15th century as a term for a pouch or wallet, from Old French "bougette," a diminutive of "bouge" meaning leather bag. The word traces further back to Latin "bulga," itself likely borrowed from a Gaulish source, which also gave English the word "bulge." By the 18th century, the connection between the chancellor's opening of his bag of accounts and financial planning led to the modern sense of a structured plan for income and expenditure, and "budgeted" followed as its inflected form.
Related word forms
How budgeted is actually used
Primarily used in formal, business, financial, and administrative contexts. As an attributive adjective in phrases like 'budgeted amount' or 'budgeted costs', it is common in accounting language. The verb takes 'for' when specifying the purpose: 'budgeted for contingencies'.
Easily confused with budgeted
'Budget' forms its past tense with a single 't' before '-ed' ('budgeted'), unlike verbs such as 'admit' that double the final consonant.