borrowing
noun
bor·row·ing
ˈbär-ə-wiŋ 
ˈbȯr-
: 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
County officials defended the financing as necessary to fund public projects and services after a period of relatively little borrowing and a pay-as-you-go strategy.
—
Tracey McManus, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
African governments are expected to raise $155 billion in commercial borrowing this year, roughly 11% higher than last year, driven in large part by persistent fiscal pressures, S&P Global Ratings said.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Funded largely by borrowing, the costs are being recouped by tolls that start at £2 for residents.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 20 Mar. 2026
Under Social Security’s pay-as-you-go structure, today’s payroll taxes flow directly to today’s retirees—a transfer that carries the same economic drag as explicit Treasury borrowing but doesn’t show up on the federal balance sheet.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for borrowing
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Tracey McManus, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
African governments are expected to raise $155 billion in commercial borrowing this year, roughly 11% higher than last year, driven in large part by persistent fiscal pressures, S&P Global Ratings said.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Funded largely by borrowing, the costs are being recouped by tolls that start at £2 for residents.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 20 Mar. 2026
Under Social Security’s pay-as-you-go structure, today’s payroll taxes flow directly to today’s retirees—a transfer that carries the same economic drag as explicit Treasury borrowing but doesn’t show up on the federal balance sheet.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for borrowing
Cite this Entry
“Borrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/borrowing. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
borrowing
noun
bor·row·ing
ˈbär-ə-wiŋ
ˈbȯr-
: something borrowed
especially
: a word or phrase adopted from one language into another
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