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
Before that, supply hadn’t been this high since 2009, amid the subprime mortgage crisis and the Great Recession.
—
Diana Olick, CNBC, 25 June 2025
Leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, predatory payday and subprime lenders lobbied Congress under the guise of financial inclusion and enlisted prominent civil rights groups to amplify their message.
—Cleve Mesidor, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Such a drop could knock a super prime borrower down to subprime status, TransUnion’s Wise said.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 13 May 2025
Michael Burry, who shot to fame by calling the subprime mortgage crisis, loaded up on bearish bets against Nvidia and Chinese internet stocks in the first quarter.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subprime
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Diana Olick, CNBC, 25 June 2025
Leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, predatory payday and subprime lenders lobbied Congress under the guise of financial inclusion and enlisted prominent civil rights groups to amplify their message.
—Cleve Mesidor, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Such a drop could knock a super prime borrower down to subprime status, TransUnion’s Wise said.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 13 May 2025
Michael Burry, who shot to fame by calling the subprime mortgage crisis, loaded up on bearish bets against Nvidia and Chinese internet stocks in the first quarter.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 15 May 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 5 Jul. 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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