subprime
adjective
sub·prime
ˈsəb-ˌprīm 
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
A number of lenders who specialize in subprime car loans expect a growing percentage of their clients to default and have their car repossessed, said Pamela Foohey, a law professor at the University of Georgia and an expert in both auto finance and bankruptcies.
—
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Those hoping to snatch a home in this busy period faced limited options on the market, as the country’s developers had chronically underbuilt compared to demand in the years following the subprime mortgage crisis, leading to ruthless bidding wars and climbing home values.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
The subprime market is usually the first to feel the pain of an economic slowdown.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
They are spooked by the collapse in September of Tricolor Holdings, a subprime auto lender and dealer, revealing allegations of fraud in which the company allegedly pledged the same collateral to multiple banks.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
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Matt Egan, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Those hoping to snatch a home in this busy period faced limited options on the market, as the country’s developers had chronically underbuilt compared to demand in the years following the subprime mortgage crisis, leading to ruthless bidding wars and climbing home values.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
The subprime market is usually the first to feel the pain of an economic slowdown.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
They are spooked by the collapse in September of Tricolor Holdings, a subprime auto lender and dealer, revealing allegations of fraud in which the company allegedly pledged the same collateral to multiple banks.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subprime
Cite this Entry
“Subprime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subprime. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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subprime
adjective
sub·prime
ˈsəb-ˌprīm
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
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