refinance

verb

re·​fi·​nance ˌrē-fə-ˈnan(t)s  (ˌ)rē-ˈfī-ˌnan(t)s 

ˌrē-(ˌ)fī-ˈnan(t)s

refinanced; refinancing; refinances

transitive + intransitive

: to renew or reorganize the financing of something : to provide for (an outstanding indebtedness) by making or obtaining another loan or a larger loan on fresh terms

refinance a mortgage

With rates tumbling, pay a little more now and retain the flexibility to refinance again next year.

—Daniel Kadlec

Examples of refinance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2022, Bloomberg published a story stating that its analysis found that Wells Fargo rejected more than half of Black homeowners who applied to refinance their mortgages in 2020. —Chase Jordan april 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026

And that's especially true for homebuyers and owners looking to refinance this spring. —Matt Richardson, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026

Applications to refinance a home, which are most sensitive to weekly interest rate moves, increased 5% for the week and were 15% higher than the same week a year ago. —Lisa Rizzolo, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026

Other trouble spots include loans to software companies struggling with competition from AI, as well as buyout lending during a time of higher purchase price multiples prior to 2022 that will be more expensive to refinance. —Steve Gelsi, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1995, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for refinance

• circumstance
• exceedance
• happenstance
• advance
• askance
• enhance
• expanse
• finance
• freelance
• mischance
• perchance
• romance

Legal Definition

refinance

1 of 2 transitive verb

re·​fi·​nance ˌrē-fə-ˈnans, -ˈfī-ˌnans 

1

: to renew or reorganize the financing of

2

: to revise the terms of (a debt obligation) especially in regard to interest rate or payment schedule

refinance a mortgage

intransitive verb

: to finance something anew

refinance

2 of 2 noun

: a financing of something anew

especially : a revision of the terms of a debt obligation (as a mortgage)