subprime

adjective

sub·​prime ˈsəb-ˌprīm 

1

: having or being an interest rate that is higher than a prime rate and is extended chiefly to a borrower who has a poor credit rating or is judged to be a potentially high risk for default (as due to low income)

subprime mortgages

a subprime loan

2

: extending or obtaining a subprime loan

subprime lenders

subprime borrowers

Examples of subprime in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Of course, 2008 was the start of the subprime mortgage crisis, which led to the Great Recession and housing crash, when the market was flooded with distressed homes, giving buyers all the power. —Diana Olick, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026

Bear Stearns shareholders got $10 a share, while thousands of families who were sold toxic subprime mortgages financed through Bear Stearns—the same mortgages that the Fed refused to regulate—lost their homes. —Aaron Klein, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026

Some examples include the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008 and The South Sea Company collapse of 1720. —Brian Blank, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025

Salient’s first major client was Westlake Financial, a large subprime auto lender. —Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1995, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for subprime

• airtime
• bedtime
• daytime
• downtime
• enzyme
• halftime
• lifetime
• longtime
• lunchtime
• mealtime
• meantime
• nighttime

Legal Definition

subprime

adjective

sub·​prime ˈsəb-ˌprīm 

1

: having or being an interest rate that is higher than a prime rate and is extended especially to low-income borrowers

subprime mortgages

2

: extending or obtaining a subprime loan

subprime lenders

subprime borrowers