loan

¹ American  

[lohn] / loʊn /

noun

1. the act of lending; a grant of the temporary use of something.

   the loan of a book.

2. something lent or furnished on condition of being returned, especially a sum of money lent at interest.

   a $1000 loan at 10 percent interest.

3. loanword.

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verb (used with object)

loans, present (3rd person singular) loaned, past participle, past loaning present participle

1. to make a loan of; lend.

   Will you loan me your umbrella?

2. to lend (money) at interest.

verb (used without object)

loans, present (3rd person singular) loaned, past participle, past loaning present participle

1. to make a loan or loans; lend.

idioms

1. on loan,

   1. borrowed for temporary use.

      How many books can I have on loan from the library at one time?

   2. temporarily provided or released by one's regular employer, superior, or owner for use by another.

      Our best actor is on loan to another movie studio for two films.

loan ² American  

[lohn] / loʊn /

Also loaning

noun

Scot.

1. a country lane; secondary road.

2. an uncultivated plot of farmland, usually used for milking cows.

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loan ¹ British  

/ ləʊn /

noun

1. the act of lending

   the loan of a car

2. 1. property lent, esp money lent at interest for a period of time

   2. ( as modifier )

      loan holder

3. the adoption by speakers of one language of a form current in another language

4. short for loan word

5. 1. lent out; borrowed

   2. (esp of personnel) transferred from a regular post to a temporary one elsewhere

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verb

1. to lend (something, esp money)

loan ² British  

/ ləʊn, ˈləʊnɪŋ /

noun

1. a lane

2. a place where cows are milked

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Usage

Sometimes mistakenly identified as an Americanism, loan1 as a verb meaning “to lend” has been used in English for nearly 800 years: Nearby villages loaned clothing and other supplies to the flood-ravaged town. The occasional objections to loan as a verb referring to things other than money, are comparatively recent. Loan is standard in all contexts but is perhaps most common in financial ones: The government has loaned money to farmers to purchase seed.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• loaner
  noun
• loanable
  adjective
• unloaned
  adjective
• unloaning
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have loaned
  perfect
• has loaned
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have been loaning
  perfect progressive
• are loaning
  progressive
• is loaning
  progressive 3rd person singular
• loaning
  participle
• has been loaning
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• loans
  singular 3rd person
• am loaning
  progressive 1st person singular

Past

• had loaned
  perfect
• was loaning
  progressive singular
• loaned
  simple
• had been loaning
  perfect progressive
• loaned
  participle
• were loaning
  progressive plural

Future

• will loan
  simple
• will have loaned
  perfect
• will have been loaning
  perfect progressive
• will be loaning
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of loan¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English noun lon(e), lan(e), Old English lān, from Old Norse lān; replacing its cognate, Old English lǣn “loan, grant,” cognate with Dutch leen “loan,” German Leh(e)n “fief”; cf. lend

Origin of loan²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English lane, lone, Old English lane, lane ¹

Explanation

If you want to buy a car but don't have money, you'll need a loan: a sum of money given temporarily that must be repaid, often with interest, or an added percentage on top the original sum. You can loan money or objects. If you loan someone your car, make sure he's a good driver. You might loan your friend a sweatshirt if she's cold and doesn't have one. Expect to get both your car and your sweatshirt back. A word that is borrowed from another language is called a loanword, like the word karaoke, which is Japanese.

Example Sentences

Loan growth is showing better momentum in commercial, but not personal banking, he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

If you need support, contact the government agency, Stop Loan Sharks, or go to BBC Action Line.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

One such group is Mayotte’s Institute of Student Loan Advisors, which says it helps 20,000 student-loan borrowers each year.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

Loan balances are also expected to grow, driven by growth in commercial and commercial real estate loans, partially offset by an expected decline in consumer loans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

“So I decided to do that with the Slater Loan Company. This is how it’s spelled on the document, ‘Company’ abbreviated as ‘Co.’

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Related Words

• allowance
• credit
• investment
• mortgage