plural loans
1
: an amount of money that is given to someone for a period of time with a promise that it will be paid back : an amount of money that is borrowed
He took out a loan (from the bank) to pay for the car.
He got a car loan.
He'll need several more years to pay off/back the rest of the loan.
She needed money, so she asked her friend for a loan.
a student loan [=a loan that is used to pay for a student's education]
a bank loan [=a loan that is made by a bank]
a personal loan [=a loan that is made by a bank to someone for a personal need]
2
somewhat formal
: permission to use something for a period of time
Can I have the loan of your car? [=(more commonly) can I borrow your car?]
loans; loaned; loaning
1
: to give (something) to (someone) for a period of time : lend
He loaned his car to me. = He loaned me his car. [=I borrowed his car]
The National Gallery has been kind enough to loan this painting to our museum.
—sometimes + outThe National Gallery loaned out the painting to another museum.
2
chiefly US
: to give (money) to (someone) who agrees to pay it back in the future : lend
His mother loaned him the money to buy a new car.
Can you loan me $20?
Cite this Entry
“Loan.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/loan. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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