microfinance

noun mi·cro·fi·nance \ ˌmī-krō-ˈfī-ˌnan(t)s , -fə-ˈnan(t)s , -fī-ˈnan(t)s \

Updated on: 2 Mar 2018

Definition of microfinance

: financial services especially in the form of microloans provided to impoverished individuals and groups in poor and developing regions

Muhammad Yunus starts lending money to the rural poor in Bangladesh. His Grameen Bank kicks off a worldwide movement in microfinance as lenders start to see poor people, especially women, not as bad credit risks but as profitable customers.
—Barbara Kiviat

Recent Examples of microfinance from the Web

The task White’s catalytic philanthropy tackled was one of nudging the market into action. Scaling up Water.org nudged the market by extending its philanthropy to microfinance lenders.

— mark davis, kansascity.com, "KC nonprofit taps into an innovative idea to solve global water crisis," 19 May 2017
The actress and humanitarian also described a microfinance movement called Myna Mahila Foundation, where women manufacture sanitary pads to sell in communities.

— lauren le vine, vanityfair.com, "Meghan Markle Writes Essay for International Women’s Day," 8 Mar. 2017
These institutions continue to buttress their flawed systems of microfinance while colluding with governments to restrict any development of sovereign purchasing power.

— letter writers, Twin Cities, "Letters: Don’t listen to old-fashioned health-reform melodies," 12 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'microfinance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.