noun
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the act of paying
-
a sum of money paid
-
something given in return; punishment or reward
Other Word Forms
- propayment adjective
Etymology
Origin of payment
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, variant of paiement, from Middle French; equivalent to pay 1 + -ment
Explanation
Payment is the process of either giving money to someone, or of receiving money from someone. If you borrow money to buy a car, you'll be expected to make a monthly payment for several years. Your paycheck itself is a payment, and so is the act of your boss handing you that paycheck. There are also types of payment that don't involve money, like when your payment for watching your little cousin one afternoon consists of a big piece of your uncle's famous apple pie. Payment, from the verb pay, is rooted in the Latin pacare, used to mean "satisfy a creditor," but originally defined as "please, satisfy, or make peaceful."
Vocabulary lists containing payment
"...And Although the Little Mermaid Sacrificed Everything..."
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Century 21 Accounting, 9e, Chapters 8-10
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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.
In the case of people smuggling, those wishing to make the journey, or their relatives, make a payment with a broker in Iraq.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
The call center typically will retain the golfer’s name, location, email address, cellphone, ZIP Code, payment method, tee-time preferences and history of previous bookings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
A December amendment to the advisory contract says that if half of Braemar’s assets get sold, the termination payment still triggers.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
“Once the money was paid out,” Bonta said, “it was funneled through a complex web of over 130 shell companies and hidden across bank accounts, payment apps and cryptocurrency to evade detection.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
According to the quickly made agreement, Kontos and his men were promised full payment for the treasures they would bring up and hand over to the government.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
