hypothecate

H4Y4P3O1T1H4E1C3A1T1E1
UK/haɪˈpɒθɪkeɪt/

verb

To pledge (something) as surety for a loan; to pawn, mortgage.

RareScrabble 24

Meanings

verbhypothecate (third-person singular simple present hypothecates, present participle hypothecating, simple past and past participle hypothecated)

present singular third person hypothecates · participle present hypothecating · participle past hypothecated · past hypothecated

  1. transitiveTo pledge (something) as surety for a loan; to pawn, mortgage.

    ‘My husband, Jasper Murdock, provided in his will that no part of his collection might be sold, loaned or hypothecated during my lifetime.’

    1943, Raymond Chandler, The High Window, Penguin, published 2005, page 12
  2. UKgovernmentTo designate a new tax or tax increase for a specific expenditure.

    The levy needed primary legislation and permission from the Treasury to hypothecate the proceeds back into the new line. It meant that the Greater London Authority could borrow against future income from the levy.

    2022 November 30, Peter Plisner, “Can land value capture set projects free?”, in RAIL, number 971, page 51
  3. AustraliaTo designate in advance the specific purpose of expenditure for government revenues (especially taxes).
    1 more example

    "Levying customs duties and excises on necessities also ensured a relatively secure source of revenue. Revenues were generally hypothecated in an attempt to draw support from the public, for example funding an orphanage, gaol, hospital equipment and building works around Sydney." A brief history of Australia's tax system; Sam Reinhardt and Lee Steel; 04 September 2006

Synonyms & antonyms

verbto believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekὑποθήκη“pledge”
  2. Latinhypothecatus
  3. Englishhypothecate

From Latin hypothecatus, past participle of hypotheco, hypothecare. This was in turn derived from Ancient Greek ὑποθήκη (hupothḗkē, “pledge”), from the verb ὑποτίθημι (hupotíthēmi, “to pledge as surety”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian ипотекирам
  • ипотекирам (ipotekiram)pledge as surety
French hypothéquer
  • hypothéquerpledge as surety
German verpfänden, beleihen
  • verpfändenpledge as surety
  • beleihenpledge as surety
Icelandic veðsetja
  • veðsetjapledge as surety
Italian ipotecare
  • ipotecarepledge as surety
Spanish hipotecar
  • hipotecarpledge as surety
Cite this entry
APA

hypothecate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypothecate

MLA

“hypothecate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypothecate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hypothecate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypothecate.

Source: hypothecate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.