lend

verb

ˈlend 

lent ˈlent  ; lending

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to give for temporary use on condition that the same or its equivalent be returned

lend me your pen

(2)

: to put at another's temporary disposal

lent us their services

b

: to let out (money) for temporary use on condition of repayment with interest

The bank lent him the money for home improvements.

2

a

: to give the assistance or support of : afford, furnish

a dispassionate and scholarly manner which lends great force to his criticisms

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

b

: to adapt or apply (oneself) readily : accommodate

a topic that lends itself admirably to class discussion

intransitive verb

: to make a loan

lendable

ˈlen-də-bəl 

adjective

lender noun

Loan vs. Lend: Usage Guide

The verb loan is one of the words English settlers brought to America and continued to use after it had died out in Britain. Its use was soon noticed by British visitors and somewhat later by the New England literati, who considered it a bit provincial. It was flatly declared wrong in 1870 by a popular commentator, who based his objection on etymology. A later scholar showed that the commentator was ignorant of Old English and thus unsound in his objection, but by then it was too late, as the condemnation had been picked up by many other commentators. Although a surprising number of critics still voice objections, loan is entirely standard as a verb. You should note that it is used only literally; lend is the verb used for figurative expressions, such as "lending a hand" or "lending enchantment."

Synonyms

• advance
• loan

Examples of lend in a Sentence

I lent our ladder to the neighbors.

The bank wouldn't lend us the money.

Many banks won't lend to people with bad credit.

They are glad to lend their support to worthy causes.

Recent Examples on the Web

This technique lends an ethereal quality to her portraits of African women as well as her photos of giraffes crossing grassy plains in Kenya. —Issy Ronald, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025

Kirk Franklin After making a pact on the 2022 Grammys red carpet to work together, the contemporary gospel legend sang on and/or lent direction of his eponymous Singers to multiple Vol. 4 tracks. —Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 28 Jan. 2025

More importantly, however, this dynamic channels real offscreen tensions into onscreen confrontations, which lends an emotional reality to the situation as Pasqual’s life spirals out of control. —Katie Rife, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2025

And Meta’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, recently lent credence to the claims by complaining publicly and to Congress about pressure his company received from the Biden administration to remove or limit the spread of certain content, including satirical content about COVID-19. —Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lenen, (15th century) lenden "to give, bestow, give for temporary use," going back to Old English lǣnan, derivative of lǣn "something lent, grant, gift" — more at loan entry 1

Note: The -d- in late Middle English lenden, continued into Modern English, was imported from the past lende and the past participle lent, apparently by association with verbs such as bend entry 1, send entry 1, wend, where the dental consonant was part of the base form.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing lend

• give/lend me a hand with
• give/lend one's name to
• lend a hand
• lend itself to
• lend-lease
• lend one's name
• lend weight/credence/credibility

Kids Definition

lend

verb

ˈlend 

lent ˈlent  ; lending

1

a

: to give to another for temporary use with the understanding that it or a like thing will be returned

lend a book

b

: to let out (money) for temporary use with the understanding that it will be paid back with interest

banks and other lending institutions

2

: to give usually for a time

lend assistance

3

: to have the quality or nature that makes suitable

a voice that lends itself to opera

lender noun

Legal Definition

lend

verb

lent; lending

transitive verb

1

: to give for temporary use on condition that the same or its equivalent be returned

2

: to let out (money) for temporary use on condition of repayment with interest

intransitive verb

: to make a loan

lendable adjective

lender noun