down payment

noun

: a part of the full price paid at the time of purchase or delivery with the balance to be paid later
broadly : the first step in a process

Examples of down payment in a Sentence

She made a 10 percent down payment on the car. We put a down payment on the house.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Challenge: With median home prices nearing $440,000, a 20% down payment is $87,460. Natalie Campisi, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024 By the numbers: The median down payment on a metro Richmond home is now $35,941, Realtor.com data shows. Karri Peifer, Axios, 2 Dec. 2024 For us, this could mean starting a side hustle, saving for a down payment on property, or negotiating ownership in our workplaces. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 30 Nov. 2024 Flagstar Gift Program Eligible first-time homebuyers can receive up to 3% of their down payment or up to $3,000. Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 27 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for down payment 

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of down payment was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near down payment

Cite this Entry

“Down payment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/down%20payment. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

down payment

noun
: a part of the full price paid at the time of purchase or delivery with the remainder to be paid later

More from Merriam-Webster on down payment

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!