Usury Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations
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usury
usury
Definition
financial practice
Usury refers to the practice of lending money at unreasonably high interest rates. It has often been condemned in various religious and ethical contexts as exploitative and immoral. Historically, usury has been associated with lending that is both excessive and illegal.
Synonyms
exorbitance, extortionate lending, loan sharking.
Examples of usage
- The merchant was accused of usury for charging exorbitant interest on loans.
- Many people fell into debt traps due to the usury practices of predatory lenders.
- Usury is illegal in many jurisdictions to protect consumers.
- The church historically forbade usury among its followers.
Translations
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Quick facts about “usury”
Usury is a 1-syllable noun. It is pronounced /ˈjuzɝi/ in American English and /jˈuːzjʊɹi/ in British English. On finesentence.com it has 1 meaning, 3 synonyms, and translations into 21 languages. It ranks #15,333 among the most common English words.
Origin of 'usury'
The term 'usury' comes from the Latin word 'usura', meaning 'interest' or 'payment for a loan'. It originally referred to any interest on a loan but has evolved to denote excessive or exploitative interest rates. This shift in meaning occurred as societies began to recognize the moral and ethical implications of lending practices. Throughout history, various cultures and religions have debated the ethics of usury, with many condemning it as a vice. During the Middle Ages, for example, Christian doctrine explicitly prohibited usury, leading to restrictions on the charging of interest. As economies grew and became more complex, particularly during the Renaissance, many of these restrictions were relaxed, allowing for regulated interest rates. Nevertheless, the stigma surrounding usury persists, particularly in discussions about modern financial practices and predatory lending.