What does "installment" mean?
One of a series of parts, whether equal or unequal to the other parts of the series, of a given entity or a given process, which part presents or is presented at a particular scheduled interval.
Installment
/ɪnˈstɔl.mənt/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One of a series of parts, whether equal or unequal to the other parts of the series, of a given entity or a given process, which part presents or is presented at a particular scheduled interval.
- Grammar: installment is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: episode, installation, accedence, accession.
- Useful contrasts: complete delivery, complete work, full shipment.
- Usage evidence: I bought this TV on the installment plan.
How to use "installment"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "installment" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "installment" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "installment" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "installment" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "installment" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "episode" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "installment", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One of a series of parts, whether equal or unequal to the other parts of the series, of a given entity or a given process, which part presents or is presented at a particular scheduled interval. US
"Not to give rise to suspicion, I drank when they were looking, and when able to do it unperceived, I quietly deposited the contents, by installments, under the table."
- 2 The act of installing; installation. US
"Take oaths from all kings and magistrates at their installment, to do impartial justice by law."
- 3 the act of installing something (as equipment) wordnet
- 4 Any of a series of portions of a debt or sum of money, which portions may or may not be equal in amount (depending in part on whether the interest rate is fixed or variable), and payment of which takes place at regular intervals toward satisfaction of the total. Payments are generally mensual, quarterly, triannual, biannual, or annual. US
- 5 The seat in which one is placed. US, obsolete
"Each faire Instalment, Coate, and seu’rall Crest, With loyall Blazon, euermore be blest."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 a part of a published serial wordnet
- 7 A part of a published or broadcast serial. US
"With The Two Towers, the new installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, about to storm the box office, we are seeing what might be called the enchanting of America."
- 8 a part of a broadcast serial wordnet
- 9 a payment of part of a debt; usually paid at regular intervals wordnet
Antonyms
complete deliverycomplete workfull shipmentlump sum
Example
"I bought this TV on the installment plan."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "installment"?
Common synonyms include: episode, installation, accedence, accession, acquitment, acquittal.
How do you use "installment" in a sentence?
I bought this TV on the installment plan.
How do you pronounce "installment"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈstɔl.mənt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
A 1732 alteration of estallment, from Anglo-Norman estaler (“fix payments”), from Old French estal (“fixed position”), from Old High German stal (“stall", "standing place”) The sense of "part of a whole produced in advance of the rest" is from 1823.
Etymology 2
From install + -ment, install from Old French installer, from Medieval Latin installare, from Medieval Latin in- and Medieval Latin stallum, stall from a Germanic source (compare Old High German stal).