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.

U.K. public borrowing for May climbed to 23.3 billion pounds, 5.4 billion pounds higher than in May 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

But the high borrowing costs have hit businesses across the board, with large corporations laying off staff and seeking state aid, while some smaller businesses have been forced to close.

From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026

Not only does this encourage inward investment to the U.S., but it creates competition for that capital between hyperscalers, with their ambitious capex proposals, and the Treasury Department with its hefty borrowing requirements.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 19, 2026

Capital Economics said the higher-than-expected borrowing highlights "the fragile fiscal backdrop that will face whoever is in 10 Downing Street."

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

Didn’t she know the difference between stealing and borrowing?

From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn

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