Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

usury

/ˈjuʒəɹi/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.54 in modern English

Syllables
usury
IPA
/ˈjuʒəɹi/
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
3
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An exorbitant rate of interest, in excess of any legal rates or at least immorally.

Countable

noun

The practice of lending money at such rates.

Uncountable

noun

The practice of lending money at interest.

Archaic; Uncountable

noun

Profit.

Obsolete; Uncountable

Example Sentences

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.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: usurie, ūsūria

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈjuʒəɹi/
  • British English: /ˈjuːʒəɹi/

Usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Law.

Inflected Forms

usuries (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

usurance usurer usuress usurial usurious usuriously usuriousness

Synonyms

oker vigorish

Questions

How do you pronounce usury?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈjuʒəɹi/.
What does usury mean?
An exorbitant rate of interest, in excess of any legal rates or at least immorally.
Where does usury come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce usury

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “usury”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈjuʒəɹi/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “usury”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “usury” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.