borrowing
Getting money as a loan
getting money that you must pay back later
borrowing [money/funds] from [a bank/lender]
- High interest rates have discouraged borrowing by first-time buyers.
- The startup relied on borrowing to cover its early operating costs.
- Before any borrowing, compare the interest rate and fees from several lenders.
- Borrowing money can be expensive.
- The family avoided borrowing from the bank.
Money owed from loans
money that has been borrowed and must be paid back
[someone's/something's] borrowing(s)
- The company's borrowings increased to nearly $2 million last year.
- Higher tax revenues reduced the need for new borrowing.
- The annual report lists all outstanding borrowings at the end of the financial year.
- The business has large borrowings.
- The city wants to reduce its borrowing.
Temporary use of someone else's thing
using something that is not yours and giving it back later
borrowing [something] from [someone/place]
- Borrowing tools from neighbors can save money, but you should return them quickly.
- The library app tracks borrowing and returns for each user.
- Borrowing your roommate's clothes without asking can cause problems.
- Borrowing books from the library is free.
- Ask before borrowing my phone.
Loanword or imported language feature
a word or language feature taken from another language
a borrowing from [a language]
- The word ballet is a borrowing from French.
- English contains many borrowings from French, Latin, and Norse.
- Some borrowings keep their original pronunciation for a long time.
- Piano is a borrowing from Italian.
- English has many borrowings.
Adopting ideas or styles
using an idea or style from another person, culture, or tradition
borrowing from [a source]; borrowing of [an idea/style]
- The film's borrowing from comic books is clear in its colors and camera angles.
- Her music shows creative borrowing from jazz and West African rhythms.
- Critics argued that the design crossed the line from borrowing into copying.
- The artist's borrowing from old posters is easy to see.
- Borrowing ideas is acceptable if you give credit.
- Base: borrowing
- Plural: borrowing, borrowings
borrowing costs
1Interest and fees on loans
the extra money you pay when you borrow money
- The central bank raised rates, increasing borrowing costs for households.
- Lower borrowing costs made it easier for the company to invest.
- Rising borrowing costs have slowed the housing market.
borrowing limit
1Maximum allowed borrowing
the most you are allowed to borrow
- The credit card has a borrowing limit of $5,000.
- Students can request a higher library borrowing limit.
- The new rules set a strict borrowing limit for local councils.
borrowing power
1Ability to borrow money
how much money someone can borrow
- A larger down payment can increase your borrowing power.
- The merger strengthened the firm's borrowing power with banks.
- Missed payments can reduce your borrowing power for years.
borrowing rate
1Interest rate on borrowed money
the interest rate you pay when you borrow money
- Their borrowing rate fell after the company's credit rating improved.
- Mortgage borrowing rates are higher than they were last year.
- The bank offered a lower borrowing rate to customers with strong credit.
cultural borrowing
1Adopting from another culture
using ideas, styles, or customs from another culture
- The festival reflects centuries of cultural borrowing between neighboring communities.
- Designers often use cultural borrowing, but they should understand and credit their sources.
- The restaurant's menu shows cultural borrowing without simply copying one tradition.
government borrowing
1Money borrowed by government
money the government borrows to pay for public spending
- Government borrowing rose sharply during the recession.
- The finance minister promised to reduce government borrowing over the next three years.
- Higher tax receipts helped keep government borrowing below forecasts.
lexical borrowing
1Words taken from another language
when one language takes words from another language
- Sushi in English is an example of lexical borrowing from Japanese.
- Lexical borrowing often happens when communities trade or live close together.
- The study compares lexical borrowing in Spanish and Tagalog.