What does "loan" mean?
An act or instance of lending, an act or instance of granting something for temporary use.
Loan
/loʊn/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act or instance of lending, an act or instance of granting something for temporary use.
- Grammar: loan is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: accommodate, accommodate with, accommodation, advance.
- Useful contrasts: a scholarship, borrow, borrowing.
- Usage evidence: You can get a loan from a bank.
How to use "loan"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "loan" 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 "loan" 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 "loan" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "loan" 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 "loan" is acting as noun, verb, slang 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 "accommodate" 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 "loan", 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 An act or instance of lending, an act or instance of granting something for temporary use.
"Because of the loan that John made to me, I was able to pay my tuition for the upcoming semester."
- 2 An area of uncultivated ground near a village or farmhouse. Northern-England, Scotland
"the Loan of Turchloy, the Black Loan"
- 3 a word borrowed from another language; e.g. ‘blitz’ is a German word borrowed into modern English wordnet
- 4 A sum of money or other property that a natural or legal person borrows from another with the condition that it be returned or repaid over time or at a later date (sometimes with interest).
"All loans from the library, whether books or audio material, must be returned within two weeks."
- 5 the temporary provision of money (usually at interest) wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 The contract and array of legal or ethical obligations surrounding a loan.
"He made a payment on his loan."
- 7 The permission to borrow any item.
"Thank you for the loan of your lawn mower."
Verb
- 1 To lend (something) to (someone). US, ditransitive, informal, usually
"In the course of a correspondence that passed between us at this period, he mentioned, to my utter astonishment, the fact of his having loaned Neilson 81000 to buy my bill on Maryland; and stated that he could not proceed to make the payment until Neilson refunded the money."
- 2 give temporarily; let have for a limited time wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"You can get a loan from a bank."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "loan"?
Common synonyms include: accommodate, accommodate with, accommodation, advance, advance, allow.
How do you use "loan" in a sentence?
You can get a loan from a bank.
How do you pronounce "loan"?
Pronounced /loʊn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English lone, lane, from Old Norse lán, from Proto-Germanic *laihną, from Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ- (“to leave (over)”). Cognate with Icelandic lán, Swedish lån, Danish lån, German Lehen (“fief”), Dutch leen (“fief”), West Frisian lien, North Frisian leen (“fief; loan; office”), Scots lane, lain, len, Old English lǣn. More at lend.
Etymology 2
From Scottish Gaelic lòn (“marshy meadow”) (compare lèana (“wet meadow, marsh, meadow”)).