Skip to main content
automobile loan

automobile loan

1 2.9
A loan to buy a car that you pay back with interest over time
  • noun
  • /ˈɔːtəməˌbiːl loʊn/
translation icon : préstamo de automóvil

Examples

  • This is debt such as automobile loans.

    Blog text (27)
  • Perhaps an occasional automobile loan for when you are young and broke?

    Blog text (29)
  • An automobile loan helped her purchase a reliable car for commuting to work.

  • Before buying a new vehicle, he decided to shop around for the best automobile loan rates.

  • Many people take out an automobile loan to finance their dream car over a few years.

Synonyms

loan
vsautomobile loan
2.0

An amount of money borrowed from a bank that must be paid back with interest

is specific to financing vehicle purchases rather than general borrowing
car loan
vsautomobile loan
10 2.1

Money you borrow to buy a car

mentions repayment with interest over a fixed period
auto loan
vsautomobile loan
  • US
5 3.0

Money you borrow to buy a car that you pay back with interest over a set time

is the same concept but uses a longer, more formal form

How Much

automobile loan
1 2.9
personal loan
  • Specialized
7 2.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

automobile + loan

The meaning is directly compositional: combining 'automobile' (a car) with 'loan' (an amount borrowed) yields 'a loan for purchasing an automobile.' This noun–noun construction expressing the purpose of the loan is a common, transparent pattern (found in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Automobile loan comes from two simple words: automobile meaning 'car' and loan meaning 'money you borrow'. It paints the picture of a bank or lender giving you money so you can drive away in a new car, so it means 'money lent to buy a car'.