down payment

noun

Synonyms of down paymentnext
: 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.
Underpinning the luxury market are affluent home shoppers who can afford to shrug off rising mortgage rates and often pay all cash for a home or come up with a large down payment by raising funds through sales of stocks or other investments. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 These points can be redeemed with partner travel organizations, gym classes or can go toward putting a down payment on a home. — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026 The primary benefit is the 1% down payment requirement, achievable only because Rocket Mortgage covers the other 2% required by federal law for conventional mortgages. — Dan Simms, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 Some hadn’t found a new job yet, and had no credit history or money for two months’ down payment and a security deposit. — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for down payment

See All Rhymes for down payment

Browse Nearby Words

Downpatrick
down payment
downpipe
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Cite this Entry

“Down payment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/down%20payment. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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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

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for down payment

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