down payment

American  

Or down-payment

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of down payment

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

He has long maintained that his company, which started in 2011 and offered mortgages for as little as a 1% down payment, has not preyed on its customers.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

Their daughter in her mid-40s asks for $200,000 toward a down payment on a $900,000 home.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

Instead of making a cash down payment, the buyer gets a separate loan, backed by either bitcoin or USDC, a popular stablecoin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

The new offering from Better Home & Finance and Coinbase allows home buyers to pledge bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies when making a down payment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

On Monday morning, I retrieved Caitlin's last letter and brought it to school with me along with the money I had saved from working in Harare as a down payment.

From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda

Related Words

• deposit