Meanings
nounusury (countable and uncountable, plural usuries)
plural usuries
- countableAn exorbitant rate of interest, in excess of any legal rates or at least immorally.
- uncountableThe practice of lending money at such rates.
As a practical matter, California usury laws do not seriously inconvenience most lenders, and offer little protection to most borrowers.
2018 May 28, June Lin, “California Usury Laws”, in Niesar & Vestal LLP, page 1 - archaichistoricaluncountablelifestyleThe practice of lending money at interest.
In medieval Europe, Jews were often linked to usury and therefore persecuted by authorities.
1 more example
The most hated sort, and with the greatest reason, is usury, which makes a gain out of money itself, and not from the natural object of it. For money was intended to be used in exchange, but not to increase at interest.
4th century BCE, Aristotle, translated by Benjamin Jowett, Politics, Book I, Part X - obsoleteuncountableProfit.
Then will we march to all thoſe Indian Mines, My witleſſe brother to the Chriſtians loſt: And ranſome them with fame and vſurie.
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene v
Synonyms & antonyms
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Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinūsūria
- Middle Englishusurie
- Englishusury
From Middle English usurie, from Latin ūsūria, from ūsūra (“lending at interest, usury”) from ūsus (“use”), from stem of ūtī (“to use”). Compare usurp and use.
More words from Middle English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic رِبَا, مُرَابَاة
- رِبَا (ribā)exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- مُرَابَاة (murābāh)practice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Bulgarian ли́хва, лихва́рство
- ли́хва (líhva)exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- лихва́рство (lihvárstvo)practice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Chinese Mandarin 高利, 高利貸 /高利贷
- 高利 (gāolì)exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- 高利貸 /高利贷 (gāolìdài)practice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Czech lichva, úžera
- lichvaexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- úžeraexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- lichvapractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
- lichvářstvípractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
- úžernictvípractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Danish åger, åger
- ågerexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- ågerpractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Dutch woekerrente, woeker
- woekerrenteexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- woekerpractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Esperanto uzuro
- uzuroexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
Finnish kiskurikorko, koronkiskonta
- kiskurikorkoexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- koronkiskontapractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
French usure, usure
- usureexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- usurepractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
German Wucher, Wucherzins
- Wucherexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- Wucherzinsexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- Wuchereipractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
- Zinswucherpractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
- Wuchernpractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Greek τοκογλυφία, τοκογλυφία
- τοκογλυφία (tokoglyfía)exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- τοκογλυφία (tokoglyfía)practice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Hebrew נֶשֶׁךְ
- נֶשֶׁךְ (néshech)exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
Hungarian uzsora, uzsorakamat
- uzsoraexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- uzsorakamatexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- uzsoráskodáspractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Icelandic okur
- okurexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
Indonesian riba, riba
- ribaexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- ribapractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Japanese 高利, 高利貸し
- 高利 (kōri)exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- 高利貸し (kōrigashi)practice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Korean 고리대금, 고리대금업
- 고리대금 (goridaegeum)exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- 고리대금업 (goridaegeumeop)practice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Latin ūsūra immodica, ūsūra immodica
- ūsūra immodicaexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- ūsūra immodicapractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Māori whakatuputupu moni
- whakatuputupu moniexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
Norwegian Bokmål åger, åger
- ågerexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- ågerpractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Persian ربا
- ربا (rebâ)exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
Polish lichwa, lichwiarstwo
- lichwaexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- lichwiarstwopractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Portuguese usura, usura
- usuraexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- usurapractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Romanian camătă, uzură
- camătăexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- uzurăexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
Russian проце́нт, лихва́
- проце́нтexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- лихва́ (lixvá)exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- ростовщи́чество (rostovščíčestvo)practice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Slovak úžera, úžerníctvo
- úžeraexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- úžerníctvopractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Spanish usura, usura
- usuraexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- usurapractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Swedish ocker, ocker
- ockerexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- ockerpractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Tagalog pasong, pamamasong
- pasongexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- pamamasongexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- labis na patuboexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
Turkish murabaha, faizcilik
- murabahaexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- faizcilikpractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
- murabahacılıkpractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
- tefecilikpractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Ukrainian відсо́ток, проце́нт
- відсо́ток (vidsótok)exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- проце́нт (procént)exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- лихва́ (lyxvá)exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- ли́хва (lýxva)exorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- лихва́рство (lyxvárstvo)practice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Welsh usuriaeth, usuriaeth
- usuriaethexorbitant rate of interest in excess of any legal rates
- usuriaethpractice of lending money at illegal or unfair rates
Cite this entry
APA
usury. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/usury
MLA
“usury.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/usury. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “usury,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/usury.
Source: usury on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.