# down payment

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A payment representing a fraction of the price of something being purchased, made to secure the right to continue making payments towards that purchase.
2. Any initial commitment signifying an intention to carry out a larger future commitment, even though no legal rights or obligations are secured.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/down-payment