negative equity
Britishnoun
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.
This can happen when a buyer trades in a car with negative equity, because it’s likely that what they still owe gets rolled into the new loan.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Car companies will often offer incentives to help their trade-in customers offset negative equity, with some brands tending to offer more because their cars depreciate faster.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026
The average underwater trade-in now carries $7,183 in negative equity, according to Edmunds — with the largest share, 41%, being underwater by $5,000 or less.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026
About 30% of car buyers trading in vehicles in the first quarter had negative equity, owing an average of about $7,200 on their old loans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
Borrowers with negative equity, however, can have a difficult time securing a loan for a new car, and it could put them at greater risk of falling behind on their payments, studies show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
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.
