usury
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Latin usuria, from usura "lending at interest, usury" from usus 'use', from stem of uti 'to use'
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
usury (countable and uncountable; plural usuries)
- (countable) An exorbitant rate of interest, in excess of any legal rates or at least immorally.
- (uncountable) The practice of lending money at such rates.
- (uncountable) (archaic) The practice of lending money at interest.
[edit] Usage notes
4th Century BCE - Aristotle - Politics, Book I, Part X,
- "The most hated sort, and with the greatest reason, is usury, which makes a gain out of money itself, and not from the natural object of it. For money was intended to be used in exchange, but not to increase at interest."
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Translations
exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
practice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
[edit] References
- “usury” in the Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, 2001
