usury

Meanings

• noun

  The act or practice of lending money, or extending credit, at an exorbitant interest rate.

  - "The usury rate charged by the payday lender was exorbitant."
  - "Usury has been a contentious issue in society for centuries."

• noun

  The excessive charge for the use of money.

  - "The usury fees on the loan were too high."
  - "The church prohibited usury during the Middle Ages."

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Pronunciation

1. /ˈjuːʒəɹi/
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=830112"

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Synonyms

oker

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with usury
curse , nurse , hearse , verse , reverse

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Variants

List of all variants of usury that leads to same result
usuries , usury

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Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

From Old French usure, from us, to use. Originally, the term referred to the use or occupation of something, but it came to be associated with the excessive charging of interest on loans.

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Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. Usury was prohibited by the Catholic Church until the 15th century.

2. The word 'usury' is derived from the Latin word 'usus', which means 'use'.

3. The term 'usury' is sometimes used interchangeably with the term 'interest', but they are not exactly the same thing.

4. The highest recorded usury rate was charged by the Temple of Jerusalem, which charged an annual interest rate of 127.6%.

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Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. interest: Usury is a form of interest, but it refers specifically to excessive interest rates.

2. greed: Usury is often associated with greed, as it involves charging exorbitant interest rates for the use of money.

3. exploitation: Usury can be seen as a form of exploitation, as it allows lenders to profit from the financial struggles of borrowers.

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Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

Usury has been a controversial topic throughout history, particularly in religious and ethical contexts. It has been associated with greed, exploitation, and the unequal distribution of wealth. Usury has been a theme in literature, such as Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, and in music, such as Handel's oratorio 'Judas Maccabeus'.

How to Memorize "usury"

1. visualize
   

   - Imagine a lender charging an exorbitant interest rate.
   - Visualize a high-interest loan.

2. associate
   

   - Associate usury with excessive interest rates.
   - Associate usury with financial exploitation.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Use the acronym U-S-U-R-Y to remember the meaning: Usurious lenders charge Unreasonably high interest Rates Yielding excessive Profits.

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