moneylender
noun
mon·ey·lend·er
ˈmə-nē-ˌlen-dər 
: one whose business is lending money
specifically
: pawnbroker
Examples of moneylender in a Sentence
He was unable to repay his debts to the moneylender.
Recent Examples on the Web
To me, ‘Shylock’ is somebody that’s a moneylender at high rates.
—
Callum Sutherland, Time, 9 July 2025
The Context Shylock refers to the villainous Jewish moneylender in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, who demands a pound of flesh from a character unable to repay a loan.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
After spotlight appearances on several television shows, Romanus found success as Michael, a moneylender whom Robert de Niro’s character publicly ridicules in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets.
—Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 31 Dec. 2023
Other actors impress in the smaller roles: David Almeida as a fussy theater investor, Rahseem Ford as the double entendre-spouting Puritan leader, and Bobbie Bell as a moneylender who gives a gleeful monologue on the delights of the theater.
—Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2023
Dante sent moneylenders to the seventh circle of hell.
—Matthew Desmond, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2023
Unable to pay the 5% daily interest on her last loan of 20,000 rupees ($245) in 2019, she was forced to give away her gold bangles – a family heirloom – to stop the moneylender from harassing her.
—Annie Banerji, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2022
But then Bassanio’s friend Lorenzo elopes with Shylock’s daughter, Jessica, and the moneylender, after a lifetime of insults, breaks bad.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 15 Feb. 2022
As European moneylenders ascended in prominence, Ottoman practices eventually fell into line.
—Harris Irfan, Foreign Affairs, 15 May 2015
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Callum Sutherland, Time, 9 July 2025
The Context Shylock refers to the villainous Jewish moneylender in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, who demands a pound of flesh from a character unable to repay a loan.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
After spotlight appearances on several television shows, Romanus found success as Michael, a moneylender whom Robert de Niro’s character publicly ridicules in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets.
—Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 31 Dec. 2023
Other actors impress in the smaller roles: David Almeida as a fussy theater investor, Rahseem Ford as the double entendre-spouting Puritan leader, and Bobbie Bell as a moneylender who gives a gleeful monologue on the delights of the theater.
—Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2023
Dante sent moneylenders to the seventh circle of hell.
—Matthew Desmond, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2023
Unable to pay the 5% daily interest on her last loan of 20,000 rupees ($245) in 2019, she was forced to give away her gold bangles – a family heirloom – to stop the moneylender from harassing her.
—Annie Banerji, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2022
But then Bassanio’s friend Lorenzo elopes with Shylock’s daughter, Jessica, and the moneylender, after a lifetime of insults, breaks bad.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 15 Feb. 2022
As European moneylenders ascended in prominence, Ottoman practices eventually fell into line.
—Harris Irfan, Foreign Affairs, 15 May 2015
Cite this Entry
“Moneylender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moneylender. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
moneylender
noun
mon·ey·lend·er
ˈmən-ē-ˌlen-dər
: one whose business is lending money
especially
: pawnbroker
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