budgets

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of budget.

   The two departments submitted their budgets a week before the deadline.

   Rising fuel costs strained household budgets across the country.

   Note

   One spelling does two jobs: these letters also serve as the verb form, so "the company's budgets" and "the company budgets" are different sentences. A word like the, their or household in front marks the noun. As a plural it mostly counts financial plans and allocations. The things it once also counted, such as purses, bags and a carbine's socket, belong to senses now obsolete.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of budget.

   The company budgets a large sum for research every year.

   Whenever she travels, she budgets extra for unexpected costs.

   Note

   Here the form agrees with a singular subject, and the verb behind it works two ways. Standing alone (she budgets carefully), it means drawing up a plan. With an object (budgets a large sum, budgets extra for costs), it means setting money aside or allowing for it. Plural subjects and I or you take bare budget. On telling it apart from the noun, see the plural noun.

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