负债（Liability），债务（Debt）

用中文简单说一下这两个词的区别，后附详细的英文解释供参考。

负债是资产负债表中应当支付的票据及其他的应付款项，比如应付票据、应付账款、应付债券、应付工资等经营性负债，属于无息的款项，而债务则是外部提供的贷款之类的款项，需要支付利息及到期偿还债务的义务，可以理解为有息负债。负债的外延更大，包含债务。

The key differences between Liability vs Debt are as follows –

The terms ‘liabilities’ and ‘debt’ have similar definitions but there is a fundamental difference between the two. Liabilities is a broader term and debt constitutes as a part of liabilities.

Debt refers to money which is borrowed and is to be paid back at some future date. Bank loans are a form of debt. Hence, it only arises out of borrowing activities. Whereas, liabilities arising out of other business activities as well. For example, accrued wages are payments to employees that have not been paid yet. These wages are obligations on part of the company and are categorized as a liability.

Liability includes all kinds of short-term and long term obligations as mentioned above, like accrued wages, income tax etc. However, debt does not include all short term and long term obligations like wages and income tax. Only obligations that arise out of borrowing like bank loans, bonds payable constitute as a debt. Therefore, it can be said that all debts come under liabilities but all liabilities do not come under debts.

Debt of a company exists in the form of money. When a company borrows money from a bank or its investors, this money is considered to be debt for the company. On the other hand, liability does not necessarily have to be in the form of money. Liability can be anything that imposes a cost on the company. Future expenses like salaries to employees or payment to suppliers are liabilities for the company and not debt.