Debt is the sum of the commitments is called, which a person meets. The jurisprudence regards against it in particular in private law the individual commitment (see debt (private law)). Debtor can be a private person just like a private business or the state (national debt). The regular repayment of the open debts is called debt service.
In the enterprise: The debts consist of the entire outside capital working in the enterprise. They are arranged after their maturity (= urgency of the repayment). Long-term debts stand therefore above.