le·ver·age
ˈle-və-rij 
ˈlē-;
ˈlev-rij,
ˈlēv-
1
: the action of a lever or the mechanical advantage gained by it
2
: power, effectiveness
trying to gain more political leverage
3
: the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity
leveraged; leveraging
1
: to provide (something, such as a corporation) or supplement (something, such as money) with leverage
also
: to enhance as if by supplying with financial leverage
2
: to use for gain : exploit
shamelessly leverage the system to their advantage—
Alexander Wolff
Alexander WolffExamples of leverage in a Sentence
Noun
The union's size gave it leverage in the labor contract negotiations.
The player's popularity has given him a great deal of leverage with the owners of the team.
I used the leverage of the bar and a wooden block to pry the rock out of the hole.
Verb
The company wants to leverage its brands more effectively.
a reality show contestant who's trying to leverage her 15 minutes of fame
Recent Examples on the Web
Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
As a result, borrowers are often forced to inject additional equity to refinance, particularly when existing leverage is no longer available or justifiable under current valuations.
—Andrew Denardo, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
While the smart contract space has certainly evolved substantially since initially introduced, with many organizations leveraging these applications, the fact remains that the standards, transparency, and auditability of smart contracts is a work in progress.
—Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leverage
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Noun
Democrats have leverage since most funding bills need 60 Senate votes.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
As a result, borrowers are often forced to inject additional equity to refinance, particularly when existing leverage is no longer available or justifiable under current valuations.
—Andrew Denardo, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
Economic response The trillions of dollars in revenue earned annually from the region’s oil and gas exports are strategically invested in global assets, which partially leverages the region’s soft power to secure influence in the world’s key decision-making centers.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
While the smart contract space has certainly evolved substantially since initially introduced, with many organizations leveraging these applications, the fact remains that the standards, transparency, and auditability of smart contracts is a work in progress.
—Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leverage
Cite this Entry
“Leverage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leverage. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
leverage
1 of 2 noun
le·ver·age
ˈle-vrij, -və-rij
: the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity
leverage
2 of 2 transitive verb
leveraged; leveraging
: to provide (as a corporation) or supplement (as money) with leverage
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