Definitions
01borrowed money
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Finance
n. money that you borrow from a bank or person and must pay back, usually with extra interest.
n. a sum of money provided by a lender to a borrower on the condition that it be repaid, typically with interest, over a specified period.
“The bank approved her loan so she could finally buy a small apartment.”
“The small business owner applied for a low-interest loan to cover the costs of upgrading the kitchen equipment before the summer season.”
Usage
Often used with the verbs 'take out', 'repay', or 'apply for'.
Pitfall
I need to take a loan for my new car.
I need to take out a loan for my new car.
In English, we use the phrasal verb 'take out' when talking about obtaining a loan from a bank.
02the act of lending
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the act of letting someone use something for a short time.
n. the act of granting temporary use of an object or property to another party.
“The famous painting is currently on loan to a museum in Paris.”
“Several rare manuscripts were provided on loan from the national archives for the duration of the historical exhibition.”
Usage
Commonly used in the phrase 'on loan'.
03to lend
B2 · Upper Intermediate American English · Informal
v. to give something to someone for a period of time, expecting to get it back.
v. to lend something to a recipient; frequently used ditransitively with both a direct and indirect object.
“Could you loan me your umbrella until tomorrow morning?”
“He agreed to loan his brother the deposit for the flat, provided they signed a formal agreement regarding the repayment schedule.”
Usage
In British English, 'lend' is preferred as the verb form.
Pitfall
Can you loan to me five dollars?
Can you loan me five dollars?
When using 'loan' as a verb, the person receiving the item usually comes immediately after the verb without 'to'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “loan” in context.
Verb
01. apply for a loan
“We decided to apply for a loan to help cover the costs of the home renovation.”
verb + prep + noun
02. approve the loan
“The manager will review your financial documents before he can approve the loan.”
verb + noun
03. repay the loan
“The bank gave him five years to repay the loan in monthly installments.”
verb + noun
04. secure a loan
“She managed to secure a loan from the credit union despite her limited credit history.”
verb + noun
Adjective
05. interest-free loan
“My parents gave me an interest-free loan so I could buy my first car.”
adj + noun
06. short-term loan
“The business took out a short-term loan to manage its cash flow during the slow season.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. loan application
“Please ensure all sections of the loan application are completed accurately.”
noun + noun
08. student loan
“Many graduates spend years paying off their student loan after finishing university.”
noun + noun
Preposition
09. on loan
“The famous painting is currently on loan to the National Gallery for three months.”
prep + noun
10. loan move
11. loan payment
Confusables
Borrow is to take something for a short time; loan is to give something for a short time.
RememberBorrow = Bring. Loan = Leave.
Real-World Examples
“The number of loans to first home buyers dropped by 2.9% over the three-month period, to be flat over the year.” “At 18, players have already received years of professional coaching but remain young enough to spend time in an under-21 or B-team environment before decisions are made over loans or first-team opportunities.” Etymology
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.
From Scottish Gaelic lòn (“marshy meadow”) (compare lèana (“wet meadow, marsh, meadow”)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0