arrears
Americanplural noun
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the state of being behind or late, especially in the fulfillment of a duty, promise, obligation, or the like.
Many homeowners have fallen into arrears.
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Sometimes arrear something overdue in payment; a debt that remains unpaid.
Those countries that have paid their arrears may be granted additional loans.
idioms
noun
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Also called: arrearage. (sometimes singular) something outstanding or owed
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late in paying a debt or meeting an obligation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of arrears
1300–50; noun use of arrear (adv., now obsolete), Middle English arere behind < Middle French ≪ Latin ad retrō. See ad-, retro-
Explanation
If you are in arrears, you are behind in the payment of a debt. Think: rears = behind. Arrears also refers to the unpaid, overdue debt itself. Your rent arrears are the money you owe on rent. Arrears is a term often used in a legal context — like, when you've had to hire a lawyer because you're being sued by your landlord, or being evicted because you're in arrears on your rent. Before it comes to eviction, though, you should try negotiating with your landlord first. They would probably be more interested in collecting arrears, even late, than in evicting you and starting with a new tenant from scratch.
Vocabulary lists containing arrears
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
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The Cuckoo's Calling
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The Time Machine
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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.
Arrears peaked during the 2008 financial crisis, and did not rise significantly during the pandemic, helped by lenders granting payment holidays.
From BBC • Feb. 2, 2023
"Arrears will definitely tick higher in the next year but it would take an extraordinary increase in unemployment, now at a record low, to push defaults to worrisome levels," he said.
From Reuters • Jul. 26, 2022
The government said that, in addition to the Rent Arrears Fund, it is "making £316m available next financial year to prevent homelessness, as well as ending section 21 no-fault evictions".
From BBC • Feb. 23, 2022
Arrears of more than 90 days represented 1.45 percent of the 1.4 million of outstanding buy-to-let mortgages in the third quarter, CML data show.
From BusinessWeek • Feb. 9, 2012
He now shall see these Arrears liquidated, justice done, or at least tumult quashed.
From The French Revolution by Carlyle, Thomas
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.
