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.

The idea is to make borrowing more expensive, giving people and businesses less money to spend.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026

Russia's economy -- on a war footing for four years -- is struggling due to high inflation, a labour shortage and high borrowing costs.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

What Warsh says this week, and, just as importantly, how he chooses to communicate over the next several years, could shape everything from borrowing costs and hiring to the direction of the stock market.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026

The BOJ faces a tricky trade-off: Raising interest rates could help lower inflation but higher rates also make borrowing costlier, increasing expenses for the government and businesses.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026

Then borrowing from the school’s motto, “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve,” I added: “If you elect me I will go forth to serve all of you.”

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez

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