Looking up...
plafond de dépenses
/pla.fɔ̃ də de.pɑ̃s/
spending cap
Le gouvernement a instauré un plafond de dépenses pour limiter le déficit public.
The government has set a spending cap to limit the public deficit.
Finance
formal
A legally or administratively imposed maximum limit on the amount of money that can be spent.
Le plafond de dépenses de l'État pour l'année prochaine est fixé à 100 milliards d'euros.
The state's spending cap for next year is set at 100 billion euros.
Les communes doivent respecter le plafond de dépenses fixé par la loi.
Local authorities must comply with the spending cap set by law.
Often used in public finance contexts, such as government budgets or EU fiscal rules.
Business
technical
The maximum amount allocated or allowed for a specific budget or project.
Le plafond de dépenses du projet a été dépassé en raison de retards imprévus.
The project's spending cap was exceeded due to unforeseen delays.
Common in project management or grant funding contexts.
Collocations
plafond de dépenses publiquespublic spending capdépasser le plafond de dépensesto exceed the spending capfixer un plafond de dépensesto set a spending cap
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Context matters
In EU contexts, 'plafond de dépenses' often refers to fiscal rules limiting public spending relative to GDP. In business, it may refer to project budgets.
Gold Rule
Avoid confusion with 'plafond d'endettement'
'Platfond d'endettement' refers to debt ceiling, not spending cap. Ensure the context is about expenses, not liabilities.
Word Origin
The phrase combines 'plafond' (ceiling, limit) and 'dépenses' (expenses). 'Plafond' comes from Old French 'plafond' (flat surface), derived from 'plat' (flat) + 'fond' (bottom). 'Dépenses' derives from Latin 'dispendere' (to weigh out, spend), via Old French 'despendre'.
Usage Notes
The term is formal and primarily used in legal, financial, or administrative contexts. It may appear in EU regulations (e.g., the Stability and Growth Pact) or national budget laws.
Word Breakdown
plafond
ceiling, limit
rootde
of
prepositiondépenses
expenses, spending
nounDictionnaire Français-Anglais