ENGLISH
REFERENCE

loan

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈɫoʊn// UK //lˈəʊn// loan General-service Informal

n. an amount of money that you borrow from a person or a bank. You usually have to pay it back later, often with an extra cost called interest.

n. a sum of money borrowed from a financial institution or individual that must be repaid, typically with interest. It may also refer to the act of lending something for temporary use.


SIMPLE

I need a small loan to buy a new car.

CONTEXTUAL

The bank approved her student loan application after she provided proof of her university enrollment.

COMPLEX

Small businesses often struggle to secure a commercial loan without significant collateral or a proven track record of annual revenue.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English lone, lane, from Old Norse lán, from Proto-Germanic laihną, from Proto-Indo-European leykʷ- (“to leave (over)”). Cognate with Icelandic lán, Swedish lån, Danish lån, German Lehen (“fief”), Dutch leen (“fief”), West Frisian lien, North Frisian leen (“fief; loan; office”), Scots lane, lain, len, Old English lǣn. More at lend.

Etymology 2

From Scottish Gaelic lòn (“marshy meadow”) (compare lèana (“wet meadow, marsh, meadow”)).

Usage

Commonly used with the verbs 'take out', 'apply for', or 'repay'.

Pitfall

I asked the bank for a lendI asked the bank for a loanLearners often confuse the verb 'lend' with the noun 'loan'.

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