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

Its reversal would yield billions of dollars over time and mitigate what would have otherwise been an unsustainable number of entities in arrears. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2025

The property taxes on those lots are three years in arrears. —Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025

What recourse does the building have if any of the owners refuse to pay and additionally are in arrears on their common charges? —Jill Terreri Ramos, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025

In 2020, when Claver-Carone was National Security director during Trump’s first term, Suriname was on the verge of bankruptcy, with over $500 million in Chinese debt and $200 million in arrears. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for arrear

• adhere
• ameer
• amir
• appear
• astir
• austere
• career
• cashier
• cohere
• compere
• emir
• endear

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