borrowing

[ bor-oh-ing, bawr- ]

noun

1. the act of one who borrows.
2. the process by which something, as a word or custom, is adopted or absorbed.
3. the result of such a process; something borrowed, as a foreign word or phrase or a custom.

Other Words From

• non·borrow·ing adjective
• pre·borrow·ing noun
• un·borrow·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of borrowing¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; borrow, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Instead of walking away from NAFTA, he renegotiated a very modest revision of its underlying structure, borrowing heavily from painstaking work that the Obama administration had undertaken as part of its ultimately unsuccessful push for the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership.

From Slate

Borrowing from his Afghanistan playbook, Hoover has identified three priorities that begin with reorganizing LA28, creating separate departments for planning, operations and logistics.

From Los Angeles Times

“I would say, borrowing a nickname from our friends across the pond, Susie is the Iron Lady of American electoral politics.”

From BBC

Rotheram says cheaper borrowing rates for RSLs and a moratorium on sales would help boost growth in social housing.

From BBC

But borrowing more will, inevitably, mean students leave university with more debt.

From BBC

Related Words

• financing