usury
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.usu·ry
noun \ˈyü-zhə-rē, ˈyüzh-rē\ plural usu·ries
Definition of USURY
1
archaic : interest
2
: the lending of money with an interest charge for its use; especially : the lending of money at exorbitant interest rates
3
: 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
See Origin of USURY
Middle English usurie, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin usuria, alteration of Latin usura, from usus, past participle of uti to use
First Known Use: 14th century
Other Economics Terms
usury
noun (Concise Encyclopedia)In law, the crime of charging an unlawfully high rate of interest. In Old English law, the taking of any compensation whatsoever was termed usury. With the expansion of trade in the 13th century, the demand for credit increased, necessitating a modification in the definition of the term. In 1545 England fixed a legal maximum interest, a practice later followed by other Western nations.
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