borrowing

American  

[bor-oh-ing, bawr-] / ˈbɒr oʊ ɪŋ, ˈbɔr- /

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.

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Other Word Forms

• nonborrowing adjective
• preborrowing noun
• unborrowing adjective

Etymology

Origin of borrowing

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

Example Sentences

It’s like a saver borrowing at 5% to fund a 3% certificate of deposit–the numbers don’t work.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Publisher Ballantine Books is borrowing from the romantasy playbook with collectible variations of Weir’s work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

It would be funded by using a mixture of conventional capital, borrowing, and use of the mutual investment model.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

That could create a cash crunch if redemptions mount, though S&P found it had enough borrowing capacity and resources to offset that exposure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

“Back to the apartment. We’ve got one more day there and then my mom’s borrowing someone’s truck so we can move our stuff to Michael’s lovely place.”

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden

Related Words

• financing