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

Navy Federal also has another 0% down payment option for military members. — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 22 July 2026

Burnham made a small down payment on that pledge by announcing a tax cut on energy bills that will save the average household about 45 pounds ($60) a year. — ABC News, 21 July 2026

Promotional periods, loan length and down payments should also be considered. — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 21 July 2026

Over half a dozen states across the South, Midwest, and Northeast are offering financial relocation incentives, ranging from cash to down payment assistance, to attract new residents, according to the online marketplace MakeMyMove. — Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 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