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

No interest rate rise is going to force an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, or clear the "hazardous area" of mines.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 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

OTTAWA—The Bank of Canada on Wednesday kept its policy interest rate unchanged at 2.25%, and signaled the rate may stay close to that level so long as the economy evolves as forecast.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

The buyer of the second tranche—the second story of the skyscraper—took the next wave of prepayments and in exchange received the second highest interest rate, and so on.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis