second mortgage

American  

noun

1. a mortgage the lien of which is next in priority to a first mortgage.

---

second mortgage British  

noun

1. a mortgage incurred after a first mortgage and having second claim against the security

---

Etymology

Origin of second mortgage

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

second mortgage

Another said their flat was "unmortgageable and therefore unsaleable" because of the high ground rent, which meant they had to delay starting a family as they could not afford a second mortgage.

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

The most common type of down-payment assistance, according to Down Payment Resource, is a second mortgage, or piggyback loan, which has grown in popularity as affordability has challenged home buyers.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 31, 2026

Plus, there was the $42,000 she still owed from a second mortgage on her home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 27, 2025

Last year, Zeldin and his wife obtained a second mortgage, for $712,500, on a property in Washington, D.C., a short walk from the EPA’s headquarters.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2025

A big source of its growth had been the second mortgage.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis