subprime
3
6.9
- adjective
- /ˈsʌbˌpraɪm/
- Specialized
:
subprime
- And here we have subprime mortgages and prime mortgages.
- subprime loans
- subprime borrower
- subprime auto loans
This is bigger than the subprime crisis.
- This is bigger than the subprime crisis.
- We've just lived through the subprime crisis, right?
Examples
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Auto dealers and lenders have installed SIDs in about two million cars in the U.S., fueling the boom in the subprime auto market.
Academic text (2016) -
We've just lived through the subprime crisis, right?
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This is bigger than the subprime crisis.
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And so this is the subprime scandal showing up.
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In other words, for the subprime borrower, lower payments today carry more weight even if that means larger payments in the future.
Academic text (2016) -
This is particularly apparent in the subprime auto loan market where dealers grant credit to subprime borrowers.
Academic text (2016) -
Consumers with weakened bargaining power, especially subprime customers with few, if any, other financing options, often are at the mercy of the dealer.
Academic text (2016) -
Many subprime borrowers struggle to qualify for traditional loans due to their credit history.
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The bank offers higher interest rates for subprime loans to account for the increased risk.
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During the financial crisis, subprime lending practices were put under intense scrutiny.
How Risky
- Specialized
3
6.9
807
3.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Subprime comes from the prefix sub- 'under', as in subway, and prime 'best'. So it literally means 'below the best', which is why the adjective describes loans or borrowers with weaker credit and a higher risk of not paying.