subprime

adjective

sub·​prime ˈsəb-ˌprīm How to pronounce subprime (audio)
1
: having or being an interest rate that is higher than a prime rate and is extended chiefly to a borrower who has a poor credit rating or is judged to be a potentially high risk for default (as due to low income)
subprime mortgages
a subprime loan
2
: extending or obtaining a subprime loan
subprime lenders
subprime borrowers

Examples of subprime in a Sentence

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.
Once the distress of the subprime bubble worked its way out of the system, delinquencies and foreclosures hovered near rock-bottom lows for several years. — Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 9 June 2026 Renting also has become a way for low- and moderate-income Americans to avoid subprime mortgages with high interest rates that can change, Parsons said. — Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 24 June 2026 Greenspan was also criticized for enacting policies that contributed to the subprime mortgage crisis that led to the recession at the end of the 2000s. — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026 This played out during the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis and subsequent economic recession. — Zac Taylor, The Conversation, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for subprime

Word History

First Known Use

1995, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of subprime was in 1995

Rhymes for subprime

See All Rhymes for subprime

Browse Nearby Words

subprimate
subprime
subprincipal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subprime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subprime. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Legal Definition

subprime

adjective
sub·​prime ˈsəb-ˌprīm How to pronounce subprime (audio)
1
: having or being an interest rate that is higher than a prime rate and is extended especially to low-income borrowers
subprime mortgages
2
: extending or obtaining a subprime loan
subprime lenders
subprime borrowers

More from Merriam-Webster on subprime

Nglish: Translation of subprime for Spanish Speakers

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