loan definition - Dictionary

Dictionary

loan [ lōn ]

noun (plural loans)

Definition:

1. money lent: an amount of money given to somebody on the condition that it will be paid back later

2. lending: the act of letting somebody use something temporarily

3. linguistics
Same as loanword

transitive verb (past and past participle loaned, present participle loan·ing, 3rd person present singular loans)

Definition:

lend something: to allow somebody to borrow something on the condition that it is returned

Loan me five bucks, will you?

[12th century. < Old Norse lán]

on loan

1. being lent or borrowed

2. working at a temporary location because additional help or expertise is needed there

Word Usage


	loan or lend? If you are letting somebody else temporarily use physical property or money of yours, it is quite acceptable, especially in less formal contexts, to use the verb loan, as in I loaned him some lunch money. In more formal settings lend is by far the safer choice: According to the terms of this agreement, we will lend you the stipulated amount of cash. The verb loan can be used only with reference to the temporary lending of physical property or assets. If the context is not literal or physical, lend is the only choice: The evidence lends [not loans] credence to the witness's previous testimony.The subtle use of strings lends [not loans] fluidity to the composition.

Word Usage