English

lender

gb/lˈɛndɚ/ us/lˈɛndɚ/
B1 English
~ 8100
Senses
0 senses
Noun B1 entity
1

person or group that lends money

A person or group that gives money to someone and expects to get it back, usually with extra money called interest.

Usage pattern: [a lender] gives money to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "lender" and "borrower". Remember: a LEnder LEnds money; a borrower BORROWs money. Another mistake is using "loaner" instead of "lender" in formal writing. "Loaner" is mainly used for temporary replacement items (e.g., a loaner car), not for a person or bank that gives loans.
Synonyms
creditor (More formal and legal; any person or company that is owed money, not only those who give loans.)
Antonyms
borrower (The opposite role in the loan relationship: the person who receives and must repay the money.)
Collocations
a private lender |a major lender |a small lender |individual lender |registered lender |borrower and lender
Themes
business |finance |law |daily_life
Examples
  • If you miss several payments, your lender may charge extra fees.
  • The lender agreed to give us more time to repay the loan.
  • Always read the contract carefully before you sign anything from a new lender.
  • Different lenders offered us very different interest rates.
  • Her parents acted as lenders when she needed money for the move.
Learner examples
  • The lender asks for interest on the money.
  • I met with a lender to talk about a loan.
  • The lender gave him money to start a shop.
  • The lender and the borrower signed the paper.
  • You should choose a lender you can trust.
Noun technical B2 entity
2

bank or company that makes loans

A bank or special company that gives people or businesses loans as its main business.

Usage pattern: [a lender] provides loans for [purpose]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use just "bank" when they mean any type of lender. However, not all lenders are banks; some are online finance companies or other financial institutions. In legal or news texts about credit, use "lender" when the exact type of institution is not important or could be more than just banks.
Synonyms
loan provider (Less technical and more descriptive; often used in consumer-facing contexts instead of legal or regulatory ones.)
Antonyms
debtor (In finance, a debtor is the party that owes money, in contrast to the institutional lender that is owed money.)
Collocations
mortgage lender |commercial lender |online lender |institutional lender |subprime lender |licensed lender
Themes
business |finance |economics
Examples
  • Several major lenders cut interest rates on home loans this week.
  • The bank is the largest mortgage lender in the region.
  • Online lenders are competing with traditional banks for small-business customers.
  • The company is negotiating with foreign lenders to refinance its debt.
  • Regulators fined the lender for giving risky loans to vulnerable customers.
Learner examples
  • We talked to three different lenders before choosing a bank.
  • The lender offers loans for small businesses.
  • This lender only gives home loans.
  • Some lenders work only on the internet.
  • The government now has stronger rules for lenders.
Noun B2 entity
3

person or group that lends things

A person or group that lets someone use a thing, like a book or tool, for some time and then get it back.

Usage pattern: [a lender] provides [an object] to [someone]
Common mistake:
Because "lender" is most often used about money, learners may think it cannot be used for things like books or tools. It is less common but still correct to say a library or museum is a "lender" of books or art.
Synonyms
provider (More general; someone who supplies something, not always on a temporary loan basis.)
Antonyms
borrower (The borrower is the one who uses the item temporarily, in contrast with the lender who owns or controls it.)
Collocations
equipment lender |tool lender |book lender |bike lender |artwork lender |short-term lender of equipment
Themes
daily life |objects |daily_life |core_vocabulary
Examples
  • The library is the main lender of children's books in the town.
  • The festival worked with a bike lender so visitors could move around easily.
  • As the equipment lender, the studio is responsible for maintaining the cameras.
  • The museum listed the painting's lender in the exhibition catalog.
  • She acted as the lender of costumes for the school play.
Learner examples
  • The library is a lender of books.
  • Our club needs a lender of sports equipment.
  • He was the lender of the tools we used.
  • The museum thanked the lender of the old car.
  • The school is a lender of laptops to students.
Grammar
Dictionary form
lender
IPA
GB/lˈɛndɚ/
US/lˈɛndɚ/
Syllables & stress
lender (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (lender)
Word forms
Noun
  • Base: lender
  • Plural: lenders
Word family
Forms
lenders noun
Core family
lend verb A2 loan noun A2
Related words
lending noun
Negative and opposite forms
borrow verb A2 borrower noun B1
Advanced or less common
moneylender noun
Expressions

direct lender

1
/dɪɹˈɛkt lˈɛndɚ/
fixed phrase

lender dealing with borrowers directly

A lender that gives loans straight to the borrower, without a broker or middle company.

Examples
  • Working with a direct lender can sometimes lower your fees.
  • The website lets you compare offers from several direct lenders.

hard money lender

1
/hˈɑɹd mˈʌni lˈɛndɚ/
fixed phrase technical

private lender using property as security

A private lender that gives short loans mainly based on the value of a house or building used as security, often at a high interest rate.

Examples
  • Real estate investors sometimes use a hard money lender to close deals quickly.
  • Because of the risk, hard money lenders usually charge higher interest.

institutional lender

1
/ˌɪnstɪtˈuʃənəl lˈɛndɚ/
fixed phrase technical

large formal organization that lends money

A big, formal organization, like a bank or insurance company, that gives loans as a regular part of its business.

Examples
  • Most large real-estate projects are financed by institutional lenders.
  • The report compared the behavior of institutional lenders and private individuals.

lender of last resort

1
/lˈɛndɚ əv lˈæst ɹɪzˈɔɹt/
fixed phrase technical

authority giving emergency loans to banks

A central bank or similar body that gives emergency loans to banks or countries when no other lender will help.

Examples
  • During the crisis, the central bank acted as lender of last resort.
  • Without a lender of last resort, failing banks might collapse completely.

online lender

1
/ˈɔnlˌaɪn lˈɛndɚ/
fixed phrase

internet-based company giving loans

A company that gives loans through a website or app instead of in a physical bank office.

Examples
  • She chose an online lender because the application was faster.
  • Many online lenders promise quick approval and same-day funding.

payday lender

1
/pˈeɪdˌeɪ lˈɛndɚ/
fixed phrase

company giving very short, small loans

A company that gives small, very short-term loans that must be paid back on or soon after the borrower's next payday, often with very high fees.

Examples
  • Payday lenders have been criticized for trapping people in debt.
  • In some states, new rules limit how much payday lenders can charge.

peer-to-peer lender

1
/pˈɪɹ tə pˈɪɹ lˈɛndɚ/
fixed phrase

platform or person arranging P2P loans

A website, app, or person that helps normal people lend money directly to other normal people, without a traditional bank.

Examples
  • The company became one of the biggest peer-to-peer lenders in the country.
  • Peer-to-peer lenders often advertise lower rates but higher risk.

private lender

1
/pɹˈaɪvɪt lˈɛndɚ/
fixed phrase

non‑bank person or firm lending money

A person or company that is not a bank but gives loans, often using their own money.

Examples
  • The developer turned to a private lender when the bank said no.
  • Private lenders may charge higher interest because they take more risk.

student loan lender

1
/stˈudənt lˈoʊn lˈɛndɚ/
fixed phrase

company or agency giving student loans

A bank, company, or government group that gives loans to students to pay for school costs.

Examples
  • Your student loan lender can help you change your payment plan.
  • The government is the main student loan lender in that country.

mortgage lender

1
/mˈɔɹɡɪd͡ʒ lˈɛndɚ/
fixed phrase

Company providing home loans

A bank or company that gives people loans to buy houses or apartments.

Examples
  • The mortgage lender offered them a low interest rate.
  • We met with a mortgage lender to see how much we could borrow for a house.
  • You should compare offers from different mortgage lenders.
  • Different mortgage lenders offered very different interest rates.

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