interest rate
Americannoun
-
Business. the amount that a lender charges a borrower for taking out a loan, for maintaining a balance on debt, etc.: typically expressed as an annual percentage of the loan balance.
-
Banking. the amount earned on a savings, checking, or money market account, or on an investment, such as a certificate of deposit or bond: typically expressed as an annual percentage of the account balance or investment sum.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of interest rate
First recorded in 1885–90
Compare meaning
How does interest-rate compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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 committee of five women and four men will announce their latest interest rate decision at 12:00 BST, with a hold the widespread expectation.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Despite the absence of signs that wage growth is accelerating, investors expect the ECB to raise its key interest rate for a second time since the conflict began when policymakers next meet in September.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Bank Indonesia has lifted its key interest rate by 100 basis points so far this year to 5.75 percent.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Add a 3% real interest rate to roughly 7% inflation generated by rapid wage growth and the arithmetic becomes uncomfortable.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Since Iceland’s interest rate at that time was higher than Switzerland’s, it’s curious why Bobby didn’t want the transfer.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
