arrear

noun

ar·​rear ə-ˈrir 

1

: the state of being behind in the discharge of obligations

—usually used in plural

They were in arrears with the rent. [=they had failed to pay the rent when it was due]

2

a

: an unfinished duty

—usually used in plural

arrears of work that have piled up

b

: an unpaid and overdue debt

—usually used in plural

paying off the arrears of the past several months

Synonyms

• arrearage
• debt
• indebtedness
• liability
• liabilities
• obligation
• score

Examples of arrear in a Sentence

since it lost the discrimination lawsuit, the employer will have to pay the worker all arrears in salary

Recent Examples on the Web

Interest in arrears resulting from the original debentures remains payable in cash or may be settled through the issuance of units of the Company at $0.05 per unit. —Kansas City Star, 2 July 2024

In a financial statement published nearly nine months in arrears, the Hong Kong Disneyland theme park revealed that its revenues in the year to September 2023 had more than doubled and that its losses had been slashed. —Patrick Frater, Variety, 25 June 2024

The country also owes billions of dollars in debt arrears. —Nimi Princewill, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024

State assistance is available to qualified homeowners who’ve missed at least two mortgage payments by Feb. 1 and are still in arrears, or who’ve missed at least one property tax payment by Feb. 1. —Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, in plural arrers, arrears "balance due, unpaid debt," borrowed from Anglo-French arere, arrere (also sometimes in plural) "state of being behind in payment," noun derivative of arere, ariere, adverb, "back, backward, behind" (also continental Old French), going back to Vulgar Latin *ad retrō, from Latin ad "to, toward" + retrō "toward the rear, in the rear, behind" — more at at entry 1, retro-

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

arrear

noun

ar·​rear ə-ˈrir 

1

a

: the condition of being behind in one's duties or especially financial obligations

—usually used in pl.

in arrears with the rent

b

: the condition of being due at the end of a term rather than the beginning

—usually used in pl.

mortgage payments are made in arrears

2

: an unpaid and overdue debt

—usually used in pl.

paying off the arrears of the previous owners