installment

1 of 2

noun (1)

in·​stall·​ment in-ˈstȯl-mənt How to pronounce installment (audio)
variants or less commonly instalment
Synonyms of installmentnext
1
: one of the parts into which a debt is divided when payment is made at intervals
2
a
: one of several parts (as of a publication) presented at intervals
b
: one part of a serial story
installment adjective

installment

2 of 2

noun (2)

variants or less commonly instalment

Examples of installment in a Sentence

Noun (1) attended the installment of the new university president
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Turns out that if a studio makes a film that is even partially original instead of superhero slop or the 13th installment in a franchise series, that people will care. David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026 Following the massive success of War Machine, Netflix is moving forward with a new installment in the franchise as Patrick Hughes is back to direct the sequel and co-write the pic with James Beaufort. Justin Kroll, Deadline, 2 June 2026 Days prior to Swift's announcement, fans suspected her involvement in the latest Toy Story installment after Pixar put up billboards in cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, London and more. Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026 Though season 3 attempted to set lead actress Zendaya's character on a path toward sobriety and righteousness across its most recent installment, Sunday's episode killed off the character (alongside three others) in what creator Sam Levinson has since confirmed was actually the series finale. Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for installment

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

alteration of earlier estallment payment by installment, from estall to arrange payments by installment, from Anglo-French estaler, from estal station, stall, division of a stage, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German stal place, stall

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1589, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of installment was in 1589

Cite this Entry

“Installment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/installment. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

installment

1 of 2 noun
in·​stall·​ment
variants also instalment

installment

2 of 2 noun
variants also instalment
1
: one of the parts into which a debt is divided when payments are made over a period of time
2
: one of several parts (as of a publication) presented over a period of time
installment adjective

Legal Definition

installment

noun
in·​stall·​ment
: one of the parts into which a debt is divided when payment is made at intervals
installment adjective

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