hypothec

UK: /haɪˈpɒθɪk/ US: (hī poth′ik, hi-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

hy•poth•ec  (hī poth′ik, hi-), n. 

1. Law [Roman and Civil Law.] a mortgage or security held by a creditor on the property of a debtor without possession of it, created either by agreement or by operation of law.
2. Law (in some modern legal systems) a security interest created in immovable property.

• Greek hypothé̄kē deposit, pledge, mortgage (akin to hypotithénai to deposit as pledge). See hypo-, theca
• Late Latin
• earlier hypotheca 1585–95

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hypothec / haɪˈpɒθɪk/ noun

1. a charge on property in favour of a creditor

Etymology: 16th Century: from Late Latin hypotheca a security, from Greek hupothēkē deposit, pledge, from hupotithenai to deposit as a security, place under, from hypo- + tithenai to place