interest rate

[in-ter-ist reyt, -trist] / ˈɪn tər ɪst ˌreɪt, -trɪst /

NOUN

sum charged for use of money

Synonyms

STRONGEST

interest

WEAK

annual percentage rate bank rate borrowing rate lending rate price of money prime interest rate prime rate rate of interest

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.

A key US Federal Reserve official warned Friday that a series of interest rate hikes could be needed if price shocks from the Middle East war are larger than expected, fuelling inflation.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

The Bank of Canada kept its policy interest rate unchanged at 2.25% and signaled it may remain near this level if the economy evolves as forecast.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

European stocks fell on Wednesday, as investors digested a wave of corporate earnings and awaited the US Federal Reserve's latest interest rate decision.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

“We had a very different mindset back then,” Alicia Fuller, managing director at Steward Partners, whose firm saw “a good backdrop”—though not perfect—for multiple interest rate cuts heading into 2026.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

The borrower was told he had an “effective interest rate of 7 percent” when he was in fact paying something like 12.5 percent.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis