English Reference
Noun

borrower

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US /ˈbɑɹoʊɝ/ UK /bˈɒɹəʊɐ/ bor·row·er UK spelling borrowers

n.a person or organization that takes something from someone else with the promise to return it later. This usually refers to people taking out loans from a bank.

n.a person or entity that receives something of value, such as money or property, with the obligation to return it or its equivalent. Often used in financial contexts to describe a party taking a loan.


SIMPLE

The borrower must pay back the loan by next month.

CONTEXTUAL

Banks carefully check a borrower's credit history before approving a mortgage for a new home.

COMPLEX

In a healthy economy, the relationship between the lender and the borrower relies on mutual trust and a clear understanding of the interest rates involved.

Usage

Commonly paired with the preposition 'from' to indicate the source of the loan.


From Middle English borower, borewer, borwere, equivalent to borrow + -er (agent suffix).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English borower
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated