installment

1 of 2

noun (1)

in·​stall·​ment in-ˈstȯl-mənt How to pronounce installment (audio)
variants or less commonly instalment
Synonyms of installmentnext
1
: one of the parts into which a debt is divided when payment is made at intervals
2
a
: one of several parts (as of a publication) presented at intervals
b
: one part of a serial story
installment adjective

installment

2 of 2

noun (2)

variants or less commonly instalment
: installation sense 1

Synonyms of installment

Relevance

Noun (1)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of installment in a Sentence

Noun (1) attended the installment of the new university president
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
Pompeo, who played Natalia’s adoptive mom in Season 1, is not expected to act in the second installment. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026 The law sends four installments of $2,500 next year to paraprofessionals, whose starting salary is about $32,600. — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026 Except in the fourth installment of Out of Pocket, Out of Reach, STAT’s Bob Herman details how that’s no longer a guarantee, as expenses, especially for health care, continue to outstrip the taxes that governments collect. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026 The film, which was the final installment of the franchise directed by Wes Craven, also starred Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, alongside Emma Roberts, Mary McDonnell, Rory Culkin, Nico Tortorella and Alison Brie. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for installment

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

alteration of earlier estallment payment by installment, from estall to arrange payments by installment, from Anglo-French estaler, from estal station, stall, division of a stage, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German stal place, stall

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1589, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of installment was in 1589

Phrases Containing installment

Rhymes for installment

See All Rhymes for installment

Browse Nearby Words

installing officer
installment
installment mortgage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Installment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/installment. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

installment

1 of 2 noun
in·​stall·​ment
variants also instalment
in-ˈstȯl-mənt How to pronounce installment (audio)
: installation sense 1

installment

2 of 2 noun
variants also instalment
1
: one of the parts into which a debt is divided when payments are made over a period of time
2
: one of several parts (as of a publication) presented over a period of time
installment adjective

Legal Definition

installment

noun
in·​stall·​ment
: one of the parts into which a debt is divided when payment is made at intervals
installment adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on installment

Nglish: Translation of installment for Spanish Speakers

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