down payment

noun

: a part of the full price paid at the time of purchase or delivery with the balance to be paid later

broadly : the first step in a process

Examples of down payment in a Sentence

She made a 10 percent down payment on the car.

We put a down payment on the house.

Recent Examples on the Web

Buyers increasingly rely not only on savings but on retirement assets and help from family or friends to make a down payment. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026

Look for first-time homebuyer assistance programs First-time homebuyers should check out assistance programs that may help with closing costs or down payments. — Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026

Low supply amounts to higher home prices (and down payment requirements), while higher interest rates raise borrowing costs (and monthly payments). — Zev Fima, CNBC, 16 Aug. 2026

Rhiannon Do received a high-paying job at Viet America Society plus $350,000 for a down payment on a $1 million North Tustin home. — Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for down payment

• copayment
• embayment
• nonpayment
• prepayment
• repayment
• claimant
• overpayment
• underpayment

Kids Definition

down payment

noun

: a part of the full price paid at the time of purchase or delivery with the remainder to be paid later