installment

1 of 2

noun (1)

in·​stall·​ment in-ˈstȯl-mənt How to pronounce installment (audio)
variants or less commonly instalment
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
The third entry in Murphy and Brennan’s true crime anthology series—previous installments have centered on Jeffrey Dahmer and the Menendez brothers—stars Charlie Hunnam as Gein and Laurie Metcalf as his mother. Walden Green, Pitchfork, 17 Sep. 2025 Johansson returns as the face of the Galleria bag for the third time, after previous installments of the campaign in 2024 and 2023, directed by British screenwriter and director Jonathan Glazer and Venezuelan-American artist Alex Da Corte, respectively. Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025 Share your story with us for a chance to be featured in a future installment. Gili Malinsky zachary Green, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025 Two months later, the three installments of the interview series had reached 2 million views on YouTube. Óscar Martínez & Carlos Martínez, The Dial, 16 Sep. 2025 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 18 Sep. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on installment

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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