interest rate
Americannoun
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Business. the amount that a lender charges a borrower for taking out a loan, for maintaining a balance on debt, etc.: typically expressed as an annual percentage of the loan balance.
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Banking. the amount earned on a savings, checking, or money market account, or on an investment, such as a certificate of deposit or bond: typically expressed as an annual percentage of the account balance or investment sum.
Etymology
Origin of interest rate
First recorded in 1885–90
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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.
“Gold remains around 18% below its pre-conflict level, reflecting the combined impact of rising bond yields, a stronger dollar, and shifting interest rate expectations.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
The odds are overwhelmingly in favor of policymakers keeping the benchmark interest rate at the target range of 3.50% to 3.75% at the conclusion of the June 16-17 policy meeting.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
If you still haven’t paid, the IRS penalties are growing at a 6% annual interest rate.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
The central bank cut its key interest rate for an eighth straight meeting, and said further reductions were possible despite a jump in oil prices.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
“The company's going to loan them the money, almost no interest rate, twenty years to pay.”
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
