down payment

American  

Or down-payment

noun

down payments plural

1. an initial amount paid at the time of purchase, in installment buying, time sales, etc.

2. any initial or partial payment, gift, favor, or recompense, as to reduce one's indebtedness or express one's obligation or gratitude.

   This gift is just a down payment for all the favors I owe you.

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down payment British  

noun

1. the deposit paid on an item purchased on hire-purchase, mortgage, etc

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down payment Cultural  

1. A payment in part made at the time of purchase of a good, with the promise to make full payment later.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• down payments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of down payment

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

down payment

There are also examples of advisers pushing for mortgages for friends and romantic partners who lack the proper down payment, income or other criteria needed, the people said and documents show.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Recently, his mom asked if he could pitch in for a down payment on a new family car, so he’s set aside some of his savings for that too.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

A tenth of home buyers indicated that saving for a down payment was the most difficult step in the process of buying a home, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

Proposition 37 would create a down payment assistance program to help middle-class Californians buy a new home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

What he said was, “Of course, I’d be delighted, fifty per cent down payment please, the rest before delivery, come back in a year, thank you very much.”

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

Related Words

• deposit