Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for DeFi. Search instead for Depil.

DeFi

American  
[dee-fahy] / ˈdiˌfaɪ /

noun

  1. decentralized finance: financial services, functions, or applications that rely on a blockchain and are typically unregulated by any financial institution.


Etymology

Origin of DeFi

First recorded in 2015–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The word “DeFiant” was a coy wink to this idea of decentralized currency, known as DeFi, the ostensible rationale for the new Trump–Witkoff platform.

From Slate Jul. 22, 2026

Decentralized finance, known as DeFi, is an umbrella term for financial services offered on public blockchains.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 29, 2026

Like traditional banks, DeFi applications allow users to borrow, lend, earn interest, and trade.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 29, 2026

This does not reflect traditional consumer borrowing, but rather crypto holders using digital assets as collateral as DeFi credit markets grow in size and activity.

From MarketWatch Feb. 6, 2026

In recent years, however, there has been a steady migration of crypto activity to DeFi.

From Barron's Feb. 5, 2026

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training