amortize

[ am-er-tahyz, uh-mawr-tahyz ]

/ ˈæm ərˌtaɪz, əˈmɔr taɪz /

verb (used with object), am·or·tized, am·or·tiz·ing.

Finance.

to liquidate or extinguish (a mortgage, debt, or other obligation), especially by periodic payments to the creditor or to a sinking fund.
to write off a cost of (an asset) gradually.

Old English Law. to convey to a corporation or church group; alienate in mortmain.

QUIZZES

Fend Off Sciolism With This Word Of The Day Quiz

Are you the Cinderella of this week’s quiz? Test your memory on the words and definitions from March 23–29.

Question 1 of 7

schlep

to say or do hesitantly or awkwardly

to fold or wind around something

to carry; lug

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also especially British, am·or·tise.

Origin of amortize

1375–1425; Middle English amortisen < Anglo-French, Old French amortiss-, long stem of amortir literally, to kill, die < Vulgar Latin *a(d)mortīre (derivative of Latin mors, stem mort- death, with ad- ad-); -ize later replacing -is(s)-, probably by association with Anglo-Latin a(d)mortizāre

OTHER WORDS FROM amortize

am·or·tiz·a·ble, adjectivenon·am·or·tiz·a·ble, adjectiveun·am·or·tized, adjective

Words nearby amortize

amorphism, amorphous, amort, amort., amortization, amortize, amortizement, amory, amos, amosite, amoss' sign

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for unamortized

amortize

amortise

/ (əˈmɔːtaɪz) /

verb (tr)

finance to liquidate (a debt, mortgage, etc) by instalment payments or by periodic transfers to a sinking fund

to write off (a wasting asset) by annual transfers to a sinking fund

property law (formerly) to transfer (lands, etc) in mortmain

Derived forms of amortize

amortizable or amortisable, adjective

Word Origin for amortize

C14: from Medieval Latin admortizāre, from Old French amortir to reduce to the point of death, ultimately from Latin ad to + mors death

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012