Phrase guide

balance of payments

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A measure of all flows of money into and out of a country including payments for goods and services and capital flows.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The systematic record of such transactions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a system of recording all of a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world over a period of one year

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a favorable balance of payments exists when more payments are coming in than going out

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: balance of international payments

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: accounting

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: platební bilance — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Danish: betalingsbalance — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Dutch: betalingsbalans — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Finnish: maksutase — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • French: balance des paiements — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • German: Zahlungsbilanz — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Indonesian: neraca pembayaran — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Italian: bilancia dei pagamenti — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Malayalam: അടവുശിഷ്ടബാക്കി (aṭavuśiṣṭabākki) — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Norwegian Bokmål: betalingsbalanse — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: betalingsbalanse — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Polish: bilans płatniczy — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Russian: расчётный бала́нс (rasčótnyj baláns) — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Russian: платёжный бала́нс (platjóžnyj baláns) — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Spanish: balanza de pagos — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Swedish: betalningsbalans — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Tagalog: timbangang-bayad — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Ukrainian: платі́жний бала́нс (platížnyj baláns) — measure of the flow of money into and out of a country
  • Finnish: maksutase — systematic record of foreign payments
  • Indonesian: neraca pembayaran — systematic record of foreign payments
  • Russian: расчётный бала́нс (rasčótnyj baláns) — systematic record of foreign payments
  • Russian: платёжный бала́нс (platjóžnyj baláns) — systematic record of foreign payments
  • Tagalog: timbangang-bayad — systematic record of foreign payments