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hire-purchase

British  

noun

  1. US and Canadian equivalents: instalment plan.   installment plan.   HP.   h.p.

    1. a system for purchasing merchandise, such as cars or furniture, in which the buyer takes possession of the merchandise on payment of a deposit and completes the purchase by paying a series of regular instalments while the seller retains ownership until the final instalment is paid

    2. ( as modifier )

      hire-purchase legislation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

The Middle East conflict probably poses lower risks than the Russia-Ukraine crisis to the asset quality of the Thai provider of hire-purchase services for autos including trucks, the analyst says.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 8, 2026

A person is not the owner of jewellery they are making payments for under a lease, rental, hire-purchase or bill of sale agreement.

From BBC Feb. 2, 2026

Management has announced plans to resume growth of its new-car hire-purchase portfolio, and the Thai bank is likely to benefit from the strong car bookings during this event and in the future.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 7, 2026

Mr Johnson earned just over £13,000 a year, so finance involved a hire-purchase agreement and an extra personal loan.

From BBC Dec. 8, 2024

She managed secretly to save enough money to surprise and delight Olivier with a hired piano, which, on the hire-purchase system became their property at the end of a certain number of months.

From Jean Christophe: in Paris The Market-Place, Antoinette, the House by Cannan, Gilbert

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