usury
pronunciation
How to pronounce usury in British English:
UK [ˈju:ʒəri]
How to pronounce usury in American English:
US [ˈjuʒəri]
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- Noun:
- an exorbitant or unlawful rate of interest
- the act of lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest
Word Origin
- usury
- usury: [14] Usury is etymologically ‘use’ of money lent. The term comes via Anglo-Norman *usurie from medieval Latin ūsūria, an alteration of classical Latin ūsūra ‘use of money lent’, hence ‘interest’. This in turn was derived from ūsus ‘use’, source also of English use and usage.=> use
- usury (n.)
- c. 1300, "practice of lending money at interest," later, at excessive rates of interest, from Medieval Latin usuria, alteration of Latin usura "payment for the use of money, interest," literally "a usage, use, enjoyment," from usus, from stem of uti (see use (v.)). From mid-15c. as "premium paid for the use of money, interest," especially "exorbitant interest."
Example
- 1. Yet it gave rise to the problem of usury .
- 2. But if he has exacted usury and taken interest , shall he then live ?
- 3. A second explanation is that islam bans usury .
- 4. Anywhere except brazil , the supposedly cut-price loans it offers would look more like usury .
- 5. Lenders have gone from reckless , profitless lending to over-cautious usury , at least in some cases .