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.

“If your interest rate is above 5% on your student loans, I think it’s important you pay those off as quickly as possible before doing any other retirement or long-term investing,” Catanese said.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

A borrower with a strong credit history is more likely to get a lower interest rate on a loan.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

Emerging markets tend to do better when the dollar is weak, and UBS strategists note the dollar’s recent inability to strengthen despite real interest rate differentials with Europe and better-than-expected economic growth.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

His remarks to members on the Canadian legislature’s finance committee largely reiterate the main themes from the Bank of Canada’s decision last week to keep its main interest rate unchanged, at 2.25%.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 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