leveraged

1 of 2

adjective

lev·​er·​aged ˈle-və-rijd 

ˈlē-;

ˈlev-rijd, 

ˈlēv-

1

: having a high proportion of debt relative to equity

2

of the purchase of a company : made with borrowed money that is secured by the assets of the company bought

a leveraged buyout

leveraged

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of leverage entry 2

Examples of leveraged in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Beyond attempting to smooth the industry’s many ruffled feathers, Hollywood’s newest mogul must now also wrestle down an astonishing $80 billion in debt accrued as a result of this highly leveraged merger. — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Cassidy said leveraged loans, which are made to companies with relatively high levels of debt often to finance acquisitions, would be one area to watch, while a meaningful rise in unemployment could also pressure consumer credit. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026

Michael Kors, in fourth place with 221,177, down 88 percent versus last February, leveraged TikTok and Instagram for the brand’s social performance. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026

Economists can debate whether a top-15 economy should morph itself into a giant leveraged bet on the AI trade, one now driving growth to new highs rather than simply riding alongside it. — William Pesek, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1953, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing leveraged

• leveraged buyout