Usury: meaning, definitions and examples
๐ฐ
usury
[ หjuหสษri ]
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
Translations of the word "usury" in other languages:
๐ต๐น usura
๐ฎ๐ณ เคธเฅเคฆเคเฅเคฐเฅ
๐ฉ๐ช Wucher
๐ฎ๐ฉ riba
๐บ๐ฆ ะปะพะผะฑะฐัะดะธ
๐ต๐ฑ lichwa
๐ฏ๐ต ้ซๅฉ่ฒธใ
๐ซ๐ท usure
๐ช๐ธ usura
๐น๐ท faizcilik
๐ฐ๐ท ๊ณ ๋ฆฌ๋๊ธ์
๐ธ๐ฆ ุงูุฑุจุง
๐จ๐ฟ nรกmฤstรญ
๐ธ๐ฐ รบลพera
๐จ๐ณ ้ซๅฉ่ดท
๐ธ๐ฎ obrestna suลกa
๐ฎ๐ธ vextir
๐ฐ๐ฟ ำฉััะผาะพัะปัา
๐ฌ๐ช แกแแกแฎแแก แแแฌแแแแแ
๐ฆ๐ฟ mรผqavilษ
๐ฒ๐ฝ usura
Etymology
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.