usury

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.

• enPR: yo͞o'zhə-rē, IPA^(key): /ˈjuːʒəɹi/

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usury (countable and uncountable, plural usuries)

1. (countable) An exorbitant rate of interest, in excess of any legal rates or at least immorally.
2. (uncountable) The practice of lending money at such rates.
   • 2018 May, June Lin, “California Usury Laws”, in Niesar & Vestal LLP‎^[1], page 1:

     As a practical matter, California usury laws do not seriously inconvenience most lenders, and offer little protection to most borrowers.

3. (uncountable, religion, archaic or historical) The practice of lending money at interest.

   In medieval Europe, Jews were often linked to usury and therefore persecuted by authorities.

   • 4th century BCE, Aristotle, translated by Benjamin Jowett, Politics, Book I, Part X:

     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.

4. (uncountable, obsolete) Profit.
   • 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:

     Then will we march to all thoſe Indian Mines,
     My witleſſe brother to the Chriſtians loſt:
     And ranſome them with fame and vſurie.

• oker

• payday loan

• Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “usury”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

usury

1. alternative form of usurie