loans

amortization

The process of spreading out a loan into a series of fixed payments over time, where each payment covers both interest and a portion of the principal.

Example

"The amortization schedule showed that after 5 years, she had paid off $12,000 of the principal."

💡 Memory Tip

Think 'a-mort' — mort means death in French. You're slowly putting the debt to death.

Etymology

From Latin 'admortire' meaning 'to kill off' — you're slowly killing off the debt.

Common Misspellings

amortisationamortizatonamortizaitonamortiztion

Related Terms

principalmortgageloan

See Also

interest

Want to understand money better? Get money tips and new terms in your inbox.