payment

From Old French paiement. Equivalent to pay +‎ -ment.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpeɪmənt/, enPR: pāʹmənt

• Audios (General American):

  (file)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪmənt
• Hyphenation: pay‧ment

payment (countable and uncountable, plural payments)

1. (uncountable) The act of paying.

   Payment will be made at the end of the month.

2. (countable) An instance of that act; a sum of money paid in exchange for goods or services, or the transaction that conveys it.

   Synonym: consideration

   Antonyms: non-payment, nonpayment

   Hypernym: transaction

   Coordinate terms: credit, debit, withholding, garnishment, billing

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     “ […] This is Mr. Churchill, who, as you are aware, is good enough to come to us for his diaconate, and, as we hope, for much longer; and being a gentleman of independent means, he declines to take any payment.” Saying this Walden rubbed his hands together and smiled contentedly.

   • 2023 November 15, 'Industry Insider', “Outbreak of common sense”, in RAIL, number 996, page 68:

     In a report published on October 31, Transport Focus said that a number of train companies were unable to convince it about their ability to sell a full range of tickets, handle cash payments, and avoid excessive queues at ticket machines.

3. (uncountable) Something of value given in return for an act; payback; recompense; reward.
   • 2012, John Goode, Distant Rumblings‎^[1], Harmony Ink Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 53:

     I humbly apologize for my behavior. Please accept this as payment for your kindness and patience.

   • 2020, Stephen W. Shanley, “Susanna's Tale”, in Forgotten Stories: In the Shadows of the Son of Man‎^[2], Resource Publications, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 15:

     I do hope this is a fair exchange, my story in payment for your kindness.

• scot