installment

1 of 2

noun (1)

in·​stall·​ment in-ˈstȯl-mənt How to pronounce installment (audio)
variants or less commonly instalment
1
: one of the parts into which a debt is divided when payment is made at intervals
2
a
: one of several parts (as of a publication) presented at intervals
b
: one part of a serial story
installment adjective

installment

2 of 2

noun (2)

variants or less commonly instalment

Examples of installment in a Sentence

Noun (1) attended the installment of the new university president
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.
Noun
Did the Purple People Bridge get more purple? Your eyes aren't deceiving you: Portions of the bridge have been repainted in installments over the past few years. Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 16 Dec. 2024 Watch Home Alone 2: Lost In New York on Disney+ Home Alone 3 Hijinks abound in the third installment of the series, which was released in 1997 with a standalone plot. Sydni Ellis, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024 The 62-year-old actor is coming out of retirement and making his return to the big screen in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the third installment of the franchise. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024 The third installment of the action-adventure film has Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles facing a mysterious adversary known as Shadow the Hedgehog and are forced to form an unlikely alliance with villain Dr. Robotnik. Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for installment 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

alteration of earlier estallment payment by installment, from estall to arrange payments by installment, from Anglo-French estaler, from estal station, stall, division of a stage, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German stal place, stall

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1589, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of installment was in 1589

Dictionary Entries Near installment

Cite this Entry

“Installment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/installment. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

installment

1 of 2 noun
in·​stall·​ment
variants also instalment

installment

2 of 2 noun
variants also instalment
1
: one of the parts into which a debt is divided when payments are made over a period of time
2
: one of several parts (as of a publication) presented over a period of time
installment adjective

Legal Definition

installment

noun
in·​stall·​ment
: one of the parts into which a debt is divided when payment is made at intervals
installment adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on installment

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!