moneylender

noun

mon·​ey·​lend·​er ˈmə-nē-ˌlen-dər How to pronounce moneylender (audio)
: one whose business is lending money
specifically : pawnbroker

Examples of moneylender in a Sentence

He was unable to repay his debts to the moneylender.
Recent Examples on the Web After spotlight appearances on several television shows, Romanus found success as Michael, a moneylender whom Robert de Niro’s character publicly ridicules in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets. Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 31 Dec. 2023 Other actors impress in the smaller roles: David Almeida as a fussy theater investor, Rahseem Ford as the double entendre-spouting Puritan leader, and Bobbie Bell as a moneylender who gives a gleeful monologue on the delights of the theater. Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2023 Dante sent moneylenders to the seventh circle of hell. Matthew Desmond, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2023 But then Bassanio’s friend Lorenzo elopes with Shylock’s daughter, Jessica, and the moneylender, after a lifetime of insults, breaks bad. Helen Shaw, Vulture, 15 Feb. 2022 Unable to pay the 5% daily interest on her last loan of 20,000 rupees ($245) in 2019, she was forced to give away her gold bangles – a family heirloom – to stop the moneylender from harassing her. Annie Banerji, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2022 Unfortunately for Licoricia, her 1244 stint in the Tower wouldn’t be her last: In 1258, a neighbor accused the moneylender of stealing a gold ring intended for the king. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2022 When Licoricia of Winchester, an English moneylender who counted among her clients Henry III and members of his court, was found murdered in her home in 1277, news of her death circulated widely, even reaching Jewish communities in Germany. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2022 Ebenezer Scrooge, the book’s miserly Victorian moneylender, is the first role that Murray every played onstage and that experience ignited his love for theater. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Dec. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moneylender.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of moneylender was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near moneylender

Cite this Entry

“Moneylender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moneylender. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

moneylender

noun
mon·​ey·​lend·​er ˈmən-ē-ˌlen-dər How to pronounce moneylender (audio)
: one whose business is lending money
especially : pawnbroker

More from Merriam-Webster on moneylender

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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