interest rate
Americannoun
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interest rates
plural
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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.
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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
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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.
Poland’s central bank will announce an interest-rate decision on Wednesday, when it is expected to leave its key interest rate unchanged at 3.75%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The next interest rate decision will be made on 15-16 September.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
The interest rate on new 30-year mortgages was below 6% in February.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
ARMs typically start with a lower interest rate at the start of a set period, and then adjust periodically.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Chrysler might sell its bonds and simultaneously enter into a ten-year interest rate swap transaction with Morgan Stanley—and just like that, Chrysler and Morgan Stanley were exposed to each other.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
