leverage

1 of 2

noun

le·​ver·​age ˈle-və-rij 

ˈlē-;

ˈlev-rij,

ˈlēv-

1

: the action of a lever or the mechanical advantage gained by it

2

: power, effectiveness

trying to gain more political leverage

3

: the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity

leverage

2 of 2

verb

leveraged; leveraging

transitive verb

1

: to provide (something, such as a corporation) or supplement (something, such as money) with leverage

also : to enhance as if by supplying with financial leverage

2

: to use for gain : exploit

shamelessly leverage the system to their advantage

—Alexander Wolff

Synonyms

Noun

• influence
• sway

Verb

• use
• exploit
• manipulate
• abuse

Examples of leverage in a Sentence

Noun

The union's size gave it leverage in the labor contract negotiations.

The player's popularity has given him a great deal of leverage with the owners of the team.

I used the leverage of the bar and a wooden block to pry the rock out of the hole.

Verb

The company wants to leverage its brands more effectively.

a reality show contestant who's trying to leverage her 15 minutes of fame

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The question now turns to whether the US, UK and their allies can use the leverage from their joint operation effectively to dismantle the highly lucrative industry. —Helen Regan, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025

Losing him for the entire World Series would weaken their already-thin bullpen, and force Roberts to get creative in high-leverage situations after his starting pitcher has been removed. —Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

Verb

This model allows telcos to leverage their infrastructure and trust to build entirely new value chains around personalization, security, and convenience. —Astha Bhardwaj, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025

The parties submitted those briefs earlier this week, reiterating claims that the president overstepped his authority in leveraging IEEPA to impose sweeping duties on American trade partners. —Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1724, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1971, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for leverage

• beverage

Kids Definition

leverage

noun

le·​ver·​age

ˈlev-(ə-)rij,

ˈlēv-

: the action of a lever or the increase in force gained by using a lever

Legal Definition

leverage

1 of 2 noun

le·​ver·​age ˈle-vrij, -və-rij 

: the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity

leverage

2 of 2 transitive verb

leveraged; leveraging

: to provide (as a corporation) or supplement (as money) with leverage