noun
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the act of paying
-
a sum of money paid
-
something given in return; punishment or reward
Other Word Forms
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.
Scottish Labour has pledged not to raise income tax for the duration of the next Holyrood parliament, and party leader Anas Sarwar has promised to maintain the Scottish Child Payment.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
Most notable among them is the Scottish Child Payment, a targeted benefit for families which has become one of the SNP's flagship policies.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Payment history and amounts owed make up 35% and 30% of your credit score, respectively.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026
Payment now starts at A$0.10 per liter, equivalent to around US$11.10 a barrel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Payment recipients can use the money in their account for online purchases or payments, can receive the payment from PayPal by check, or can have PayPal directly deposit the money into a checking account.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
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.
