arrear

noun

ar·rear | \ ə-ˈrir

Definition of arrear

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]

2a : 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

Examples of arrear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The 25-year-old Texan bumbled his way to a 76 that put him four shots in arrears of winner Francisco Molinari, who certainly played well enough to win but benefited mightily from Spieth’s collapse. — Paul Newberry, The Seattle Times, "Masters: What’s wrong with Jordan Spieth?," 11 Apr. 2019 The central bank’s governor, John Mangudya, in an interview at his gated mansion outside Harare, said the government might borrow money from commercial banks to pay off some of the arrears and unlock assistance from development banks for the rest. — Gabriele Steinhauser, WSJ, "Looming Election Is Vital for Zimbabwe," 15 June 2018 The head of the bank said in September that the dictatorships in Havana and Caracas have outstanding loans of $1 billion and both are in arrears. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Bolsonaro’s Hope and Change," 29 Oct. 2018 Did the countries in arrears count toward a quorum? — New York Times, "In a Chemical Weapons Debate, Russia Tries to Change the Subject," 26 June 2018 Connie Jones was in arrears for tens of thousands of dollars. — Michael Kiefer, azcentral, "Scottsdale shooting suspect left divorce full of discord, YouTube channel full of grudges," 4 June 2018 At the end of 2016, the state was reckoned to be almost €33bn in arrears. — The Economist, "A bizarre new government takes shape in Italy," 24 May 2018 Including a daily rental rate of $79.46, which has been accruing since March 14, the day after the city posted a three-day notice to pay rent, McVea is now about $30,500 in arrears. — Hillary Davis, latimes.com, "Newport trying to collect $30,000 in back rent from tenant of city-owned apartment," 4 May 2018 In 2013, city records show that a lien was removed from the apartment after Mr. Brassner paid $21,668 in arrears and fees. — William Neuman, New York Times, "Trump Tower Smoke Sensors Alerted Firefighters to Deadly Blaze," 9 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arrear.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.