leverage

1 of 2

noun

le·​ver·​age ˈle-və-rij How to pronounce leverage (audio)
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 advantageAlexander Wolff

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
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
Instead of electricity, Johnston said Canada could have more leverage over America in areas that are harder for US officials to make up for, including aluminum and nickel. Matt Egan, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024 Australian government Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones underlined the tax’s primary function as leverage rather than revenue generation. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
O’Kane will work with Noah’s development and creative teams to forge a slate of originals for brands, leveraging the indie’s relationship with sporting federations, having won an Emmy earlier this year year for its work with sports body UEFA. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 Dec. 2024 For example, Salesforce leverages security to build trust with cloud computing customers, especially those handling sensitive information. Pukar Hamal, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for leverage 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1724, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1971, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of leverage was in 1724

Dictionary Entries Near leverage

Cite this Entry

“Leverage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leverage. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

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 How to pronounce leverage (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on leverage

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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