borrowing

American

[bor-oh-ing, bawr-] / ˈbɒr oʊ ɪŋ, ˈbɔr- /

noun

the act of one who borrows.
the process by which something, as a word or custom, is adopted or absorbed.
the result of such a process; something borrowed, as a foreign word or phrase or a custom.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

borrowings

plural

Etymology

Origin of borrowing

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at borrow, -ing ¹

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:

borrowing borrowings

The U.S. just sold 30-year debt at its highest borrowing cost since 2001.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

The 10-year Treasury yield, which influences borrowing costs across the economy, advanced to 4.695%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

The U.S. is likely to pay the highest borrowing rate for 30-year Treasury debt in a quarter-century.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

It has been most acutely felt by people who used leverage - a form of borrowing in the financial markets.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Samuel, by borrowing, had read many more of the Delmars’ books than the Delmars had.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Those obligations are growing faster than traditional “capex,” which totaled about $600 billion over the past year they reported, and were about triple what the companies owe under their outstanding leases and long-term borrowings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

If that happens, he said, it could raise bills for electric customers since the utility may have to pay a higher interest rate for new borrowings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

The club also confirmed borrowings on a revolving credit facility on 31 March were £262.5m.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

Excessive borrowings have long been central to financial crises.

From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026

Scholars have long acknowledged such borrowings as moccasins, maize, and military tactics—the Indian-style guerrilla skirmishes with which the rebellious colonists bedeviled British soldiers.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023