usury

English

Etymology

From Middle English usurie, from Latin ūsūria, from ūsūra (“lending at interest, usury”) from ūsus (“use”), from stem of ūtī (“to use”). Compare usurp and use.

Noun

English Wikipedia has an article on:

usury

usury (countable and uncountable, plural usuries)

1. (countable) An exorbitant rate of interest, in excess of any legal rates or at least immorally.
2. (uncountable) The practice of lending money at such rates.
3. (uncountable, religion, archaic or historical) The practice of lending money at interest.

In medieval Europe, Jews were often linked to usury and therefore persecuted by authorities.

4. (uncountable, obsolete) Profit.

Synonyms

• oker

Hyponyms

• payday loan

Related terms

• usurance
• usurer
• usuress
• usurial
• usurious, usuriously, usuriousness

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