loan
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A word borrowed from another language.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
lohnIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈloʊn
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
lawbankingfinance
A word borrowed from another language; e.g. `blitz' is a German word borrowed into modern English
The contract and array of legal or ethical obligations surrounding a loan.
lawbankingfinance
A sum of money or other property that a natural or legal person borrows from another with the condition that it be returned or repaid over time or at a later date (sometimes with interest).
The permission to borrow any item.
lawbankingfinance
An act or instance of lending, an act or instance of granting something for temporary use.
verb
(usually ditransitive, US, dated and occasionally proscribed in UK, informal) To lend (something) to (someone).
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A word borrowed from another language; e.g. `blitz' is a German word borrowed into modern English
Used this way, loan is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a legal use: the wording is institutional and carries a defined meaning in law rather than a loose everyday one.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Law/legal
- Government/politics
- Academic writing
- Finance/economics
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Nearby words
- lend , used mainly in Regional English
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use loan
- “She took out a loan to help pay for her new home.”noun
Share your sentence
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Antonyms
Sense: (usually ditransitive or US
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “loan” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.