# usury

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈjuːʒəɹi/ · frequency rank #50,879

## Definitions
1. An exorbitant rate of interest, in excess of any legal rates or at least immorally.
2. The practice of lending money at such rates.
3. The practice of lending money at interest.
4. Profit.

## Etymology
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.

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