borrowing

noun

bor·row·ing | \ ˈbär-ə-wiŋ

How to pronounce borrowing (audio)

, ˈbȯr- \

Definition of borrowing

: something borrowed especially : a word or phrase adopted from one language into another

Examples of borrowing in a Sentence

He's compiling a list of Japanese borrowings in English. Students must have their own pencils. Borrowing is not allowed. Economists predict that there will be increases in government borrowing.

Recent Examples on the Web Engaging was defined as buying, borrowing, reading, giving or subscribing to all or part of a physical, digital or audio book. — oregonlive, "Who engages with books, and how? Portland State University study tells new story about consumer behavior," 15 Apr. 2021 The Federal Reserve’s near-zero interest rates, designed to spur business activity through cheaper borrowing, benefit foreign corporations along with American ones. — Washington Post, "With stimulus cash and jobs spike, U.S. emerges as main engine for global economic recovery," 4 Apr. 2021 The recent upward moves paint a clear contrast: More vaccinations in the U.S. and recent progress on the latest coronavirus relief bill have brightened investors’ outlook on the economy, a key variable in determining borrowing rates. — Orla Mccaffrey, WSJ, "30-Year Mortgage Rate Tops 3% for First Time Since July," 4 Mar. 2021 But especially since the pandemic recession paralyzed the economy last spring, the economy and the markets have drawn strength from near-record-low borrowing rates. — Christopher Rugaber, BostonGlobe.com, "Fed’s Powell says US economic recovery is uneven and incomplete," 23 Feb. 2021 Credit card borrowing rates are egregiously high and paying those rates is an easy way to negatively compound your net worth. — Ben Carlson, Fortune, "How your personal finances can survive a pandemic," 28 Dec. 2020 The Fed could announce other moves, such as shifting more of its purchases to longer-term bonds to try to further cut long-term borrowing rates and encourage spending. — Arkansas Online, "Across U.S. and Europe, pandemic's grip on economies tightens," 11 Dec. 2020 The central bank has been buying Treasury and mortgage bonds to hold down long-term borrowing rates to encourage spending. — Martin Crutsinger, USA TODAY, "Fed keeps rates near zero, promises to take further steps if the economy weakens amid COVID-19 pandemic," 5 Nov. 2020 The central bank has been buying Treasury and mortgage bonds to hold down long-term borrowing rates to encourage spending. — Martin Crutsinger, Star Tribune, "Fed signals readiness to do more for economy as virus rages," 5 Nov. 2020

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about borrowing

Dictionary Entries near borrowing

borrow/take a page from someone

Statistics for borrowing

Last Updated

20 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Borrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/borrowing. Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for borrowing

borrowing

noun

English Language Learners Definition of borrowing

: something that is borrowed especially : a word or phrase from one language that is used in another language

: the act of borrowing something especially : the act of borrowing money

See the full definition for borrowing in the English Language Learners Dictionary

Keep scrolling for more

Comments on borrowing

What made you want to look up borrowing? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

touchstone

Listen to the pronunciation of touchstone

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Name that Thing: Flower Edition

Name that flower

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

Anagram puzzles meet word search.

TAKE THE QUIZ