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.
While overall mortgage demand is down, products offering lower down payments are gaining steam. — Diana Olick, CNBC, 8 July 2026 Saving for retirement is an overarching goal for most investors but may need to be balanced against near-term goals, such as saving for a down payment on a house or for education needs. — Daniel Kern, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Damon Dunbar, the executive director of the tribe’s Housing Authority, said the money will also go toward down payment support for members. — Courtney Bell, Oklahoma Voice, 1 July 2026 According to an estimation from the governor’s office, about 40,000 low- to moderate-income Californians will receive down payment assistance through the measure, which was pulled from the ballot last minute in 2024. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 30 June 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 13 Jul. 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

Nglish: Translation of down payment for Spanish Speakers

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