amortize

UK: /əˈmɔː^rtaɪz/

US: /ˈæmɚˌtaɪz, əˈmɔrtaɪz/

US: (am′ər tīz′, ə môr′tīz)

Inflections of 'amortize' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

amortizes

v 3rd person singular (US & UK)

amortizing

v pres p (US & UK)

amortized

v past (US & UK)

amortized

v past p (US & UK)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

am•or•tize /ˈæmɚˌtaɪz, əˈmɔrtaɪz/   v. [~ + object] , -tized, -tiz•ing. 

1. Business to complete the payment of (a debt) by periodic payments to the creditor:
   amortized the loan.
2. to write off the cost of (an asset) gradually:
   to amortize an expense over five years.

am•or•ti•za•tion /ˈæmɚtəˈzeɪʃən/  n. [uncountable] See -mort-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

am•or•tize  (am′ər tīz′, ə môr′tīz), v.t., -tized, -tiz•ing. 

1. [Finance.]
   • to liquidate or extinguish (a mortgage, debt, or other obligation), esp. by periodic payments to the creditor or to a sinking fund.
   • to write off a cost of (an asset) gradually.
2. [Old Eng. Law.] to convey to a corporation or church group* alienate in mortmain.

Also,[esp. Brit.,] am′or•tise′. 

• Vulgar Latin *a(d)mortīre (derivative of Latin mors, stem mort- death, with ad- ad-); -ize later replacing -is(s)-, probably by association with Anglo-Latin a(d)mortizāre
• Anglo-French, Old French amortiss-, long stem of amortir literally, to kill, die
• Middle English amortisen 1375–1425

am′or•tiz′a•ble, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

amortize, amortise / əˈmɔːtaɪz/ verb (transitive)

1. to liquidate (a debt, mortgage, etc) by instalment payments or by periodic transfers to a sinking fund
2. to write off (a wasting asset) by annual transfers to a sinking fund
3. (formerly) to transfer (lands, etc) in mortmain

Etymology: 14th Century: from Medieval Latin admortizāre, from Old French amortir to reduce to the point of death, ultimately from Latin ad to + mors death