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.
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 ECB announces its latest policy decision Thursday, and investors expect it to leave its key interest rate at 2%.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee meets this week, while central banks in Europe, Japan and the U.K. are among others set to announce interest rate policy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
The Federal Reserve will announce its interest rate decision Wednesday, and King Charles III will begin a state visit.
From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve will release its latest interest rate decision, and Chair Jerome Powell will hold what could be his final press conference in that job.
From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026
Because we’re taking him out of his high interest rate credit card debt and putting him into lower interest rate mortgage debt.’
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.
