payment

noun

pay·​ment ˈpā-mənt 

1

: the act of paying

2

: something that is paid : pay

3

: requital

Synonyms of payment

• paying

Examples of payment in a Sentence

Payment is due on the first of every month.

Prompt payment of your bill ensures that you will not have to pay any additional fees.

We require payment in advance for all goods purchased.

a payment plan to reduce your debt

cash, credit cards, and other methods of payment

Our records show that we received a payment of $215.36 in May.

Buy this product for three easy payments of only $19.95!

It took me five years to pay off the car, but I never missed a payment.

making payments on a loan

The credit card company just increased the penalty on late payments.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that HHS couldn’t vary payment rates by hospital group without first conducting the acquisition-cost survey required by statute. — Casey B. Mulligan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026

Any outreach requesting an application fee or payment to be considered for the list is a scam. — Kelli Grant, Cfp®,riley De León, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026

Individual payments are to be made within 30 days of the signing. — Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026

The lawsuits also attack the practice of charging fees on paper IOUs that are racked up by borrowers unable to make cash interest payments. — Ellen Dimauro, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing payment

• balloon payment
• co-payment
• down payment
• in payment
• on payment of
• stop payment
• transfer payment

Rhymes for payment

• claimant
• copayment
• embayment
• nonpayment
• prepayment
• repayment
• overpayment
• underpayment

Kids Definition

payment

noun

pay·​ment ˈpā-mənt 

1

: the act of paying

2

: money given to pay a debt

3

: pay entry 2 sense 2