Loan

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ləʊn/
• US IPA: /loÊŠn/
• Rhymes: -əʊn
• Homophones: lone

From Middle English lone, lane, from Old Norse lán ("loan"), from Proto-Germanic *laihną ("that which is lent, loan, fief"), from Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ- ("to leave, leave over"). Cognate with Icelandic lán ("loan"), Swedish lån ("loan"), Danish lån ("loan"), German Lehen ("fief, feudal estate"), Dutch leen ("fief, feudatory, something lent"), West Frisian lien ("something borrowed, loan"), North Frisian leen ("fief, loan, office"), Scots lane, lain, len ("loan"), Old English lǣn ("loan, borrowing, lease, grant, gift, present, benefit"). More at lend.

Full definition of loan

Noun

1. (banking, finance) A sum of money or other valuables or consideration that an individual, group or other legal entity borrows from another individual, group or legal entity (the latter often being a financial institution) with the condition that it be returned or repaid at a later date (sometimes with interest).
• 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 2, That the young Mr. Churchills liked—but they did not like him coming round of an evening and drinking weak whisky-and-water while he held forth on railway debentures and corporation loans. Mr. Barrett, however, by fawning and flattery, seemed to be able to make not only Mrs. Churchill but everyone else do what he desired.
2. He got a loan of five thousand pounds.
   All loans from the library, whether books or audio material, must be returned within two weeks.
3. The contract and array of legal or ethical obligations surrounding a loan.
   He made a payment on his loan.
4. The permission to borrow any item.
   Thank you for the loan of your lawn mower.

Hypernyms

• (something that a legal entity borrows) bailment

Hyponyms

• (something that a legal entity borrows) mutuum

Derived terms

Verb

1. (usually double transitive, US, dated in UK, informal) To lend (something) to (someone).
• 2006: — Judge Judy (unidentified episode, but frequently heard from her as a verb)When you loan somebody something, they have the responsibility to safeguard it.

Usage notes

This usage, once widespread in the UK, is now confined to the US (or perhaps parts thereof).

It is often considered preferable to use lend when the object being loaned or lent is something other than money.

See lawn.

Noun

1. (Scotland) A lonnen.

Anagrams

• NOLA