usury
LowFormal, Literary, Legal/Financial
Definition
Meaning
The illegal practice of lending money at an extremely high or exorbitant interest rate.
Historically, any lending of money at interest; figuratively, any excessive or exorbitant charge, gain, or advantage taken in a financial context.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is strongly negative, implying unethical and often illegal exploitation. Historically, in medieval Christian and Islamic societies, all interest-taking was considered usury, a sense now largely archaic in common usage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning or usage. Both variants use the same spelling.
Connotations
Identically negative connotations in both dialects.
Frequency
Slightly more likely to appear in UK English in historical or religious contexts due to its prominence in English Common Law history, but overall equally low-frequency in modern usage.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to practice usuryto be guilty of usuryto lend money at usurylaws prohibiting usuryVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms directly with 'usury'. The concept is embedded in phrases like 'lend at a usurious rate']”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in risk and compliance discussions about illegal lending practices.
Academic
Found in economic history, ethics, religious studies, and law texts discussing finance regulation.
Everyday
Rare. Used for dramatic effect when describing extremely unfair financial deals.
Technical
Used in legal statutes defining criminal lending and maximum allowable interest rates (usury laws).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- [Rare as a verb. The verb 'to usure' is archaic.]
American English
- [Rare as a verb. The verb 'to usure' is archaic.]
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverb form. 'Usuriously' is exceptionally rare and non-standard.]
American English
- [No standard adverb form. 'Usuriously' is exceptionally rare and non-standard.]
adjective
British English
- The loan shark was known for his usurious terms.
American English
- The company was sued for imposing usurious fees on its customers.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Banks do not practice usury.
- The old laws were made to stop usury.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'USURY is an abUSIVE interest rate.' The 'u' and 'sury' sound like 'you're sorry' you borrowed from such a lender.
Conceptual Metaphor
MONEY LENDING IS PREDATION (the lender is a predator, the borrower is prey).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'процент' (interest), which is neutral. The direct Russian equivalent is 'ростовщичество', which has a similarly strong historical/negative connotation.
- Avoid using 'usury' for standard, legal bank interest.
Common Mistakes
- Mispronouncing it as /ˈʌʒəri/ or /ˈuːsəri/.
- Using it to describe any high interest, rather than an illegally/unethically high rate.
- Confusing the related adjective 'usurious' (e.g., 'a usurious rate') with the noun.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes the modern core meaning of 'usury'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, in modern usage, 'usury' specifically refers to charging an illegally or immorally high rate of interest. Standard bank interest is not usury.
The adjective is 'usurious', as in 'a usurious loan'.
Yes, many countries and states have usury laws that set the maximum legal interest rate that can be charged on loans.
Figuratively, yes. It can describe any situation where an exorbitant or unfair price is charged (e.g., 'the usurious cost of textbooks'), but the financial sense is primary.