WordGarden.iorepayable
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /rɪpˈeɪəbəl/
US
- /riˈpeɪəbəl/
Meanings
Adjective
required or able to be paid back, especially as a loan or debt
Beyond the definition
Something that's repayable is meant to be paid back, usually with money. You will often see it used for loans, debts, advances, or financial help that is not a gift. If a bank gives you a loan, or a company gives you money that must later be returned, that amount is repayable. The word carries the idea of an obligation: the money was given for now, but it must come back later, often by a set date or in regular payments.
The word repayable describes money, or something measured in money, that must or can be paid back. It is most common in financial and legal contexts. A repayable loan, advance, grant, or debt is not free money; it comes with the understanding that the amount will be returned, either all at once or over time.
Imagine a student who receives funding for school. If the money is described as repayable, it means the student may need to pay it back later, perhaps after finishing school or after reaching a certain income. In the same way, a business might receive a repayable advance, meaning the money helps now but must be returned under agreed conditions.
The core idea behind repayable is obligation. Someone has received value, and there is a duty to return that value through payment. Because of that, the word is much closer to loans and debts than to gifts. If money is non-repayable, the opposite is true: it does not need to be paid back.
So, when you encounter the word repayable, think of money that comes with strings attached. It has been given for the moment, but it is expected to go back later through payment.
Examples
- 1
Loan terms
The loan is repayable over five years.
- 2
Student loans
Student loans are only repayable once you earn above a certain amount.
- Patternrepayable once + condition
you must start paying it back only after that point
- 3
Grant conditions
The grant will become repayable if the company closes the factory within three years.
- Phrasebecome repayable
change from not needing repayment to needing repayment
See also
Similar
- payable
- refundable
- reimbursable
Shades of meaning
- due
- redeemable
- amortizable
Contrast
- nonrepayable
- forgivable
Used with (collocations)
- repayable on demand
- repayable over five years
- repayable in installments
- repayable loan
Word family
Explore
- debt obligation
- payment schedule
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- repayableadjective