installment

1 of 2

noun (1)

in·​stall·​ment in-ˈstȯl-mənt 

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

: installation sense 1

Synonyms of installment

Noun (1)

• inauguration
• inaugural

Examples of installment in a Sentence

Noun (1)

attended the installment of the new university president

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the second installment, a year has passed since we were last immersed in the East End and Mary endeavors to reassemble the Forty Elephants, which includes making contact with a broken Hezekiah (Malachi Kirby) and the estranged Sugar Goodson (Graham). —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 23 Dec. 2025

Certain installments cover a more ambitious time span, which the host attributes to the gap between seasons. —Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025

Costner has reportedly struggled to secure funding for the final two installments of the Horizon saga. —Amy McCarthy, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025

This story is from an installment of In the Loupe, our weekly insider newsletter about the best of the watch world. —Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2025

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

Phrases Containing installment

• installment plan

Rhymes for installment

• instalment

Kids Definition

installment

1 of 2 noun

in·​stall·​ment

variants also instalment

in-ˈstȯl-mənt 

: installation sense 1

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