second mortgage

American  

noun

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

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second mortgage British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of second mortgage

First recorded in 1900–05

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

second mortgage

One family in her social circle told her they took out a second mortgage on their home rather than forgo baseball, she said, adding, “I really do truly believe it is parents having FOMO.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

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

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

“By the way, Michael. Why did you take out a second mortgage with NatWest Bank for five thousand pounds in January?”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

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