Definition of Usury

(v. t.)
The practice of taking interest.
  

(v. t.)
Interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of money.
  

(v. t.)
A premium or increase paid, or stipulated to be paid, for a loan, as of money; interest.
  

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usury
\u"su*ry\ (?), n. [oe. usurie, usure, f. usure, l. usura use, usury, interest, fr. uti, p. p. usus, to use. see use, v. t.]
1. a premium or increase paid, or stipulated to be paid, for a loan, as of money; interest. [obs. or archaic] thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of anything that is lent upon usury. xxiii. 19. thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchanges, and then at my coming i should have received mine own with usury. xxv. 27. what he borrows from the ancients, he repays with usury of &?;&?;is own.
2. the practice of taking interest. [obs.] usury bringeth the treasure of a realm or state into a few &?;&?;nds.
3. (law) interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of money.
note: the practice of requiring in repayment of money lent anything more than the amount lent, was formerly thought to be a great moral wrong, and the greater, the more was taken. now it is not deemed more wrong to take pay for the use of money than for the use of a house, or a horse, or any other property. but the lingering influence of the former opinion, together with the fact that the nature of money makes it easier for the lender to oppress the borrower, has caused nearly all christian nations to fix by law the rate of compensation for the use of money. of late years, however, the opinion that money should be borrowed and repaid, or bought and sold, upon whatever terms the parties should agree to, like any other property, has gained ground everywhere. cyc.
usury
n
1. an exorbitant or unlawful rate of interest [syn: vigorish]


2. the act of lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest
usury
the sum paid for the use of money, hence interest; not, as in the modern sense, exorbitant interest. the jews were forbidden to exact usury (lev. 25:36, 37), only, however, in their dealings with each other (deut. 23:19, 20). the violation of this law was viewed as a great crime (ps. 15:5; prov. 28:8; jer. 15:10). after the return, and later, this law was much neglected (neh. 5:7, 10).

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The demanding for the use of money as a loan, a rate of interest beyond what is allowed by law.

gaimbíneacht, gaimbín

Ocr, Ocraeth = n. usury; profit

Ocri = n. usury; profit, gain

Ocriad = n. a dealing in usury

Ocru = v. to practise usury

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Noun
1. an exorbitant or unlawful rate of interest
(synonym) vigorish
(hypernym) interest rate, rate of interest
2. the act of lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest
(hypernym) lending, loaning

Charging interest at a higher rate than the maximum rate established by state law.

Charging more than the maximum legally permitted rate of interest.

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The civil or criminal wrong of charging interest that is beyond the legal limit set by a State. The illegal profit which is required and received by the lender of a sum of money from the borrower for its use. In a more extended and improper sense, it is the receipt of any profit whatever for the use of money: it is only in the first of these senses that usury will be here considered.

To constitute a usurious contract the following are the requisites: 1. A loan express or implied. 2. An agreement that the money lent shall be returned at all events. 3. Not only that the money lent shall be returned, but that for such loan a greater interest than that fixed by law shall be paid.

There must be a loan in contemplation of the parties and if there be a loan, however disguised, the contract will be usurious, if it be so in other respects. Where a loan was made of depreciated bank notes to be repaid in sound funds, to enable the borrower to pay a debt he owed dollar for dollar, it was considered as not being usur-ious. The bona fide sale of a note, bond or other security at a greater discount than would amount to legal interest, is not per se, a loan, although the note may be endorsed by the seller, and he remains responsible. But, if a note, bond; or other security be made with a view to evade the laws of usury, and afterwards sold for a less amount than the interest, the transaction will be considered a loan and a sale of a man's own note, endorsed by himself, will, be considered a loan. lt is a general rule that a contract, which, in its inception, is unaffected by usury, can never be invalidated by any subsequent usurious transaction. On the contrary, when the contract was originally usurious, and there is a substitution by a new contract, the latter will generally be considered usurious.

There must be a contract for the return of the money at all events; for if the return of the principal with interest, or of the principal only, depend upon a contingency, there can be no usury; but if the contingency extend only to interest, and the principal be beyond the reach of hazard, the lender will be guilty of usury, if he received interest beyond the amount allowed by law. As the principal is put to hazard in insurances, annuities and bottomry, the parties may charge and receive greater interest than is allowed by law in common cases, and the transaction will not be usurious.

To constitute usury the borrower must not only be obliged to return the principal at all events, but more than lawful interest: this part of the agreement must be made with full consent and knowledge of the contracting parties. When the contract is made in a foreign country the rate of interest allowed by the laws of that country may be charged, and it will not be usurious, although greater than the amount fixed by law in this.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.

Excessive or illegal interest rate. - (read more on Usury)
  

Excessive or illegal interest rates.

the sum paid for the use of money, hence interest; not, as in the modern sense, exorbitant interest. The Jews were forbidden to exact usury (Lev. 25:36, 37), only, however, in their dealings with each other (Deut. 23:19, 20). The violation of this law was viewed as a great crime (Ps. 15:5; Prov. 28:8; Jer. 15:10). After the Return, and later, this law was much neglected (Neh. 5:7, 10).

(The word usury has come in modern English to mean excessive interest upon money loaned, either formally illegal or at least oppressive. In the Scriptures, however the word did not bear this sense, but meant simply interest of any kind upon money. The Jews were forbidden by the law of Moses to take interest from their brethren, but were permitted to take it from foreigners. The prohibition grew out of the agricultural status of the people, in which ordinary business loans were not needed. and loans as were required should be made only as to friends and brothers in need.-ED.) The practice of mortgaging land, sometimes at exorbitant interest, grew up among the Jews during the captivity, in direct violation of the law. (Leviticus 25:36,37; Ezekiel 18:8,13,17) We find the rate reaching 1 in 100 per month, corresponding to the Roman centisimae usurae, or 12 per cent. per annum.