installment
B2Neutral to Formal
Definition
Meaning
A single, regular payment made as part of a larger, agreed-upon series to pay off a debt or purchase.
Any single part of a series presented or delivered sequentially over time, such as an episode of a story, a segment of a report, or a component of an equipment set.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily denotes a single part of a divisible whole, either financial or temporal. In non-financial contexts, it implies serialization and episodic delivery.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: UK prefers 'instalment' (one 'l'), US prefers 'installment' (two 'l's). Usage is semantically identical.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both dialects, with spelling being the key difference.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to pay something in installmentsthe first/second/latest installment of somethingto buy something on an installment planVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To be paid on the installment plan”
- “The latest installment in an ongoing saga”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
A scheduled partial payment for goods, services, or a loan.
Academic
A published part of a serialized research report or historical analysis.
Everyday
A monthly payment for a phone or furniture; a new episode of a favourite TV series.
Technical
A component delivered as part of a phased software deployment.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The software will be instalment over several phases.
- They plan to instalment the equipment next week.
American English
- The software will be installment over several phases.
- They plan to installment the equipment next week.
adverb
British English
- Payments were made instalmently over two years. (Note: Extremely rare, non-standard)
- He paid for the car instalment-wise. (Note: Extremely rare, non-standard)
American English
- Payments were made installmently over two years. (Note: Extremely rare, non-standard)
- He paid for the car installment-wise. (Note: Extremely rare, non-standard)
adjective
British English
- He chose an instalment payment option.
- The instalment agreement was signed.
American English
- He chose an installment payment option.
- The installment agreement was signed.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I paid for my new bike in three installments.
- The next installment of the story is next week.
- Her loan requires a monthly installment of £150.
- Did you watch the latest installment of the documentary series?
- The company offers an installment plan with zero interest for the first year.
- The final installment of the research paper presented the most controversial findings.
- The government's fiscal policy was unveiled in several installments, each met with increasing scepticism from economists.
- The novel was originally published in serialized installments in a monthly magazine.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of installing software: you get it in parts or updates, just like you pay a debt in INSTALLments.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS MONEY (payments over time); A STORY IS A JOURNEY (episodes are legs of the trip).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'рассрочка' for non-financial contexts (use 'серия', 'выпуск').
- Do not confuse with 'installation' (установка).
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'instalment' in US English or 'installment' in UK English.
- Using it for a one-time payment.
- Confusing with 'installation' (e.g., 'the installment of the software' is incorrect).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'installment' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Installment' refers to a partial payment or episode. 'Installation' refers to the act of setting up equipment or software, or a piece of art set up in a space.
Yes, 'instalment' with one 'l' is the standard British English spelling, while 'installment' with two 'l's is standard in American English.
Yes, commonly. It can refer to any part of a serialized story, report, or project delivered over time (e.g., 'the next installment of the podcast').
It is a payment system where a buyer pays for a product or service with a series of scheduled payments, rather than one lump sum upfront.