English Reference
noun

payment

n.
US /ˈpeɪmənt/ UK /pˈeɪmənt/ pay·ment UK spelling payment's, payment's

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    the act of giving money to someone for goods or services.

    the process of transferring money or value in exchange for goods, services, or to fulfill a legal obligation.

    Simple

    The shop requires payment before they will ship your order.

    In context

    The contract stipulates that payment must be received in full before the intellectual property rights are officially transferred to the client.

    Usage

    Often used with the prepositions 'for' or 'of'.

    settlementremittance
    non paymentdefault
  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    a specific amount of money that you pay.

    a specific sum of money paid or a single transaction within a series.

    Simple

    I made a small payment on my credit card bill this morning.

    In context

    The homeowner struggled to meet the monthly mortgage payments after the interest rates increased unexpectedly.

    Usage

    Commonly used in the plural when referring to a series of scheduled costs.

Usage payment system


From Old French paiement. Equivalent to pay + -ment.

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

This entry
Origin Old French paiement
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated