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.

They cut a key U.S. interest rate three times late last year to make sure the labor market didn’t get any worse.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Starting after 2031, without momentous changes, the interest rate on the entire debt will exceed the growth rate permanently, and increasingly.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

The central bank left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.25% on March 18.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

This is when car dealers receive commission from lenders, based on the interest rate charged to the customer.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 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