usury
NOUN:
1. the lending or practice of lending money at an exorbitant interest.
2. an exorbitant amount or rate of interest, especially in excess of the legal rate.
3. the act or practice of loaning money at an exorbitant rate of interest.
4. an exorbitant or unlawfully high amount or rate of interest.
5. the practice of charging more than the legal interest rate.
6. the lending of money with an interest charge for its use, especially the lending of money at exorbitant interest rates.
7. an unconscionable or exorbitant rate or amount of interest, specifically interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of money.
Recent Examples on the Web (Merriam-Webster):
Your problem with the credit-card companies is usury rates, from your position.
—Julie Bykowicz, WSJ, "Joe Biden Keeps Everyone Guessing On Wall Street Regulation," 13 Oct. 2020 *
But usury, officially forbidden by the medieval Church, was still practiced, particularly by monks.
—Eula Biss, The New Yorker, "A House Is Not a Home," 30 Aug. 2020 *
archaic:
interest.
obsolete:
1. interest paid for the use of money.
2. moneylending.
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English usurie<Medieval Latin ūsūria (compare Latin ūsūra), equivalent to Latin ūs(us) (see use) + -ūr(a) -ure + -ia-y3. Dictionary 2: C14: from Medieval Latin ūsūria, from Latin ūsūra usage, from ūsus use. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use of usury: 14th century. History and Etymology for usury: Middle English usurie, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin usuria, alteration of Latin usura, from usus, past participle of uti to use. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.
1. the lending or practice of lending money at an exorbitant interest.
2. an exorbitant amount or rate of interest, especially in excess of the legal rate.
3. the act or practice of loaning money at an exorbitant rate of interest.
4. an exorbitant or unlawfully high amount or rate of interest.
5. the practice of charging more than the legal interest rate.
6. the lending of money with an interest charge for its use, especially the lending of money at exorbitant interest rates.
7. an unconscionable or exorbitant rate or amount of interest, specifically interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of money.
Recent Examples on the Web (Merriam-Webster):
Your problem with the credit-card companies is usury rates, from your position.
—Julie Bykowicz, WSJ, "Joe Biden Keeps Everyone Guessing On Wall Street Regulation," 13 Oct. 2020 *
But usury, officially forbidden by the medieval Church, was still practiced, particularly by monks.
—Eula Biss, The New Yorker, "A House Is Not a Home," 30 Aug. 2020 *
archaic:
interest.
obsolete:
1. interest paid for the use of money.
2. moneylending.
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English usurie<Medieval Latin ūsūria (compare Latin ūsūra), equivalent to Latin ūs(us) (see use) + -ūr(a) -ure + -ia-y3. Dictionary 2: C14: from Medieval Latin ūsūria, from Latin ūsūra usage, from ūsus use. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use of usury: 14th century. History and Etymology for usury: Middle English usurie, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin usuria, alteration of Latin usura, from usus, past participle of uti to use. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.