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)

1. to make a loan of; lend.

   Will you loan me your umbrella?

2. to lend (money) at interest.

verb (used without object)

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

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

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

With the loan, Poland also hopes to boost local industry -- 89 percent of the contracts Poland's money will go to Polish companies.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

A borrower with a strong credit history is more likely to get a lower interest rate on a loan.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

“Once locked, your rate does not change, as long as your loan details remain the same and you close within the lock period,” he said.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

He has been one of Emery's most dependable players this season, scoring 10 goals, and is one of the reasons Harvey Elliott's loan move from Liverpool has failed.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

“It was a clear sign that lenders had lost it, constantly degrading their own standards to grow loan volumes,” Burry said.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• allowance
• credit
• investment
• mortgage