sub-prime

(also subprime)

adjective PROPERTY, FINANCE

Definition

› used to describe a mortgage that has a high risk of not being paid back: subprime mortgages/loans/lending This credit crunch was sparked by fears that banks gave out too many subprime mortgages.subprime borrower/lender Defaults have climbed sharply on mortgages to subprime borrowers with weak credit histories.

(Definition of sub-prime adjective from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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