payment

noun

pay·​ment ˈpā-mənt 

1

: the act of paying

2

: something that is paid : pay

3

: requital

Synonyms of payment

• paying

Examples of payment in a Sentence

Payment is due on the first of every month.

Prompt payment of your bill ensures that you will not have to pay any additional fees.

We require payment in advance for all goods purchased.

a payment plan to reduce your debt

cash, credit cards, and other methods of payment

Our records show that we received a payment of $215.36 in May.

Buy this product for three easy payments of only $19.95!

It took me five years to pay off the car, but I never missed a payment.

making payments on a loan

The credit card company just increased the penalty on late payments.

Recent Examples on the Web

His income is split evenly between Social Security payments, investment returns, and required minimum IRA distributions. —Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2025

This is not the first suggestion of using funds generated by tariffs to send a stimulus payment to Americans. —Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 15 Nov. 2025

The extended shutdown affected millions of Americans, causing flight cancellations and delays to food assistance payments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), while federal workers went unpaid. —Joshua Sammons, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025

If a payment falls on either a weekend or a holiday, however, SSI payments are issued on the last day of the previous month that isn’t a weekend. —Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing payment

• balloon payment
• co-payment
• down payment
• in payment
• on payment of
• stop payment
• transfer payment

Rhymes for payment

• claimant
• copayment
• embayment
• nonpayment
• prepayment
• repayment
• overpayment
• underpayment

Kids Definition

payment

noun

pay·​ment ˈpā-mənt 

1

: the act of paying

2

: money given to pay a debt

3

: pay entry 2 sense 2