arrears
n. plural-onlyn. money that you owe because you did not pay it on time. It is often used to describe late rent or loan payments.
n. money that is owed and should have been paid earlier. Often appears in the phrase 'in arrears', describing a state of being behind on financial obligations.
He is two months in arrears with his rent.
The company struggled to stay afloat after falling into significant arrears with its primary suppliers.
The court ordered the defendant to settle all outstanding arrears, including interest and legal fees, within thirty days to avoid further litigation.
Takes a plural verb. Frequently used in the prepositional phrase 'in arrears' to describe a person or account that is late with payments.
He has an arrear of five hundred dollars.He has arrears of five hundred dollars.The word is a pluralia tantum in this sense and should not be used in the singular form to describe a debt.