usury
noun
usu·ry
| \ ˈyü-zhə-rē
, ˈyüzh-rē\
, ˈyüzh-rē\
plural usuries
Definition of usury
1
: the lending of money with an interest charge for its use
especially
: the lending of money at exorbitant interest rates
2
: an unconscionable or exorbitant rate or amount of interest
specifically
: interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of money
Examples of usury in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The cameras made the evils of usury, stealing and smuggling visible. — Richard Vokes, Quartz Africa, "A recently discovered trove of photos shows life in Uganda during Idi Amin’s troubled reign," 30 June 2019 The cameras made the evils of usury, stealing and smuggling visible. — Richard Vokes, Quartz Africa, "A recently discovered trove of photos shows life in Uganda during Idi Amin’s troubled reign," 30 June 2019 The cameras made the evils of usury, stealing and smuggling visible. — Richard Vokes, Quartz Africa, "A recently discovered trove of photos shows life in Uganda during Idi Amin’s troubled reign," 30 June 2019 The cameras made the evils of usury, stealing and smuggling visible. — Richard Vokes, Quartz Africa, "A recently discovered trove of photos shows life in Uganda during Idi Amin’s troubled reign," 30 June 2019 The cameras made the evils of usury, stealing and smuggling visible. — Richard Vokes, Quartz Africa, "A recently discovered trove of photos shows life in Uganda during Idi Amin’s troubled reign," 30 June 2019 The cameras made the evils of usury, stealing and smuggling visible. — Richard Vokes, The Conversation, "Thousands of recently discovered photographs document life in Uganda during Idi Amin’s reign," 25 June 2019 Jews were labeled materialistic and corrupt centuries before the Catholic Church began to worry about usury, or even about the sin of avarice. — Sara Lipton, The New York Review of Books, "A Terribly Durable Myth," 17 June 2019 In states where usury laws cap interest rates, the company lowers its highest rate - 36 percent - to comply. — Peter Whoriskey, courant.com, "Unsolicited checks can be a lifeline and an albatross," 2 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'usury.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for usury
usury
noun
English Language Learners Definition of usury
formal + disapproving
: the practice of lending money and requiring the borrower to pay a high amount of interest
See the full definition for usury in the English Language Learners Dictionary
usury
noun
usu·ry
| \ ˈyü-zhə-rē
\
\
Legal Definition of usury
1
: the lending of money at exorbitant interest rates
specifically
: the crime of charging or contracting to charge an unlawfully high rate of interest
2
: a rate or amount of interest charged in usury — compare legal interest at interest sense 5