What does usury mean?
Usury is a formal term for the practice of charging interest so high that it is considered excessive, exploitative, or contrary to law. It can also refer to the excessive interest itself, as when a borrower alleges that the terms of a loan amount to usury. The word is especially associated with legal, economic, religious, and historical discussion. In modern usage, “usury laws” regulate the maximum rate of interest that may be charged in particular circumstances, although the precise legal test varies by jurisdiction. Earlier, the term was also associated with the moral condemnation of lending money for interest, including influential religious teachings that treated such practice as sinful. In ordinary conversation, “usury” is more severe and technical than simply saying that something is “too expensive.” Its power lies in describing a transaction not only as profitable, but potentially predatory. Recognising the word helps identify the ethical and legal issue behind an apparently ordinary reference to interest, fees, loans, or credit.
nounThe practice of lending money at an excessively high rate of interest, especially when such lending is prohibited by law; also the excessive interest charged.
- The practice of lending money at an excessively high rate of interest, especially when prohibited by law.
- The excessive rate of interest charged for money or credit.
"The lender was accused of charging usury to vulnerable borrowers."
"Medieval authorities frequently condemned usury as both sinful and harmful to society."
"The borrower complained that the hidden fees amounted to usury."
The plural is formal and uncommon; usury is normally used as an uncountable noun.
"The contract prohibited all usuries beyond the lawful rate."
Usury is where the word “interest” takes on a moral charge: what looks like profit on paper may count as exploitation in law or conscience.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does usury come from?
Usury entered English through Old French usure, which was borrowed from Latin usura, meaning “interest” or “usury” and related to the Latin verb uti, “to use.” The word has been used in English since the medieval period, initially for the charging of interest and later especially for practices judged excessive or unlawful. Its relatives include usage, usual, and disuse, which continue the Latin root associated with use, and usurer, which developed through French and Latin traditions concerned with usury.
Related word forms
How usury is actually used
The word is formal and usually carries a strongly negative legal or moral judgment. It is broader than merely charging interest at a high rate, since it commonly implies that the rate is excessive or unlawful.
Easily confused with usury
Usury is the noun referring to excessive or unlawful interest and lending practices, while usurious is the adjective describing a loan, rate, or practice that involves such interest.