subprime
adjective
sub·prime
ˈsəb-ˌprīm 
1
: having or being an interest rate that is higher than a prime rate and is extended chiefly to a borrower who has a poor credit rating or is judged to be a potentially high risk for default (as due to low income)
subprime mortgages
a subprime loan
2
: extending or obtaining a subprime loan
subprime lenders
subprime borrowers
Examples of subprime in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The administration has ordered the agency — created after the 2008 financial crisis and subprime mortgage-lending scandal — to stop nearly all its work, effectively shutting it down.
—
Meg Kinnard, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Michael Burry, best known for calling the subprime mortgage crisis, reshuffled his bets on Chinese internet stocks last quarter, trimming holdings in Alibaba and JD.com and adding a new stake in PDD .
—Yun Li, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2025
Fraudulent practices in subprime financing not only lead to substantial financial losses but also destabilize trust in the credit ecosystem.
—Glen Robinson, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
The legislation was intended to prevent a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis and subprime mortgage-lending scandal.
—Cora Lewis, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2025
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Meg Kinnard, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Michael Burry, best known for calling the subprime mortgage crisis, reshuffled his bets on Chinese internet stocks last quarter, trimming holdings in Alibaba and JD.com and adding a new stake in PDD .
—Yun Li, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2025
Fraudulent practices in subprime financing not only lead to substantial financial losses but also destabilize trust in the credit ecosystem.
—Glen Robinson, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
The legislation was intended to prevent a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis and subprime mortgage-lending scandal.
—Cora Lewis, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subprime
Cite this Entry
“Subprime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subprime. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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subprime
adjective
sub·prime
ˈsəb-ˌprīm
1
: having or being an interest rate that is higher than a prime rate and is extended especially to low-income borrowers
subprime mortgages
2
: extending or obtaining a subprime loan
subprime lenders
subprime borrowers
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