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
Subprime borrowers and deep subprime borrowers are not likely to buy new cars.
—
Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Someone with a subprime credit score may pay an interest rate of around 22%, while someone in the prime credit range could drop that to about 18%.
—Ryan Barone, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Millennials, who were hit by two recessions during their formative years—one following the subprime mortgage crisis and another following the COVID-19 pandemic—have struggled to achieve this milestone by the age once considered typical for becoming homeowners.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
As with more recent subprime mortgages, brokers sold, bundled, and resold crummy contracts so many times that the people left holding the bag had no clue what was in it.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subprime
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Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Someone with a subprime credit score may pay an interest rate of around 22%, while someone in the prime credit range could drop that to about 18%.
—Ryan Barone, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Millennials, who were hit by two recessions during their formative years—one following the subprime mortgage crisis and another following the COVID-19 pandemic—have struggled to achieve this milestone by the age once considered typical for becoming homeowners.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
As with more recent subprime mortgages, brokers sold, bundled, and resold crummy contracts so many times that the people left holding the bag had no clue what was in it.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subprime
Cite this Entry
“Subprime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subprime. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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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
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