down payment

American  

Or down-payment

noun

• down payments
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• down payments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of down payment

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

down payment

If passed by voters, Proposition 37 would create a down payment loan program for middle-income homebuyers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

According to the California Budget and Policy Center, the earnings that would qualify a family for down payment assistance could vary greatly depending on where they planned to buy a home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

The median down payment in January of this year was $23,053, according to Realtor.com.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Staying under these caps depends on a buyer’s down payment as well as their loan’s interest rate, which is determined largely by their credit score.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

If you want a down payment on a store, bring the owner of the store you work in now.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Related Words

• deposit