amortize

[am-er-tahyz, uh-mawr-tahyz] /ˈæm ərˌtaɪz, əˈmɔr taɪz/
verb (used with object), amortized, amortizing.
1.
Finance.
  1. to liquidate or extinguish (a mortgage, debt, or other obligation), especially by periodic payments to the creditor or to a sinking fund.
  2. to write off a cost of (an asset) gradually.
2.
Old English Law. to convey to a corporation or church group; alienate in mortmain.
Also, especially British, amortise.
Origin
1375-1425; Middle English amortisen < Anglo-French, Old French amortiss-, long stem of amortir literally, to kill, die < 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
Related forms
amortizable, adjective
nonamortizable, adjective
unamortized, adjective
Examples from the web for amortize
  • Conventional mortgages have fixed rates and terms, with payments that amortize the debt by the end of the term.
  • Advertising on the blades would enable you to amortize the costs of getting clean renewable energy to supply your site.
  • Hopefully, some of the future plans will be dirt-cheap, allowing people to amortize the initial cost of the unlocked phone.
  • It also takes time to amortize the high cost of building a store.
  • IOs do not amortize principal and have higher remaining balances later in their life than amortizing mortgages.
  • He's versed in shipwreck history but would rather talk about how to minimize risks and amortize costs.
  • The cost of the graphics will be a dollar a day if you amortize the expense.
  • It probably cost plenty originally, and you clearly intend to amortize the investment by wearing it for many winters.
  • Seems as though they are neglecting to amortize construction emissions over a reasonably long lifetime.
  • They're going to put it on their books and amortize it over the length of their obligation to their retirees.
British Dictionary definitions for amortize

amortize

/əˈmɔːtaɪz/
verb (transitive)
1.
(finance) 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.
(property law) (formerly) to transfer (lands, etc) in mortmain
Derived Forms
amortizable, amortisable, adjective
Word Origin
C14: from Medieval Latin admortizāre, from Old French amortir to reduce to the point of death, ultimately from Latin ad to + mors death
Word Origin and History for amortize
v.

late 14c., from Old French amortiss-, present participle stem of amortir "deaden," from Vulgar Latin *admortire "to extinguish," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + mortus "dead," from Latin mors "death" (see mortal (adj.)). Originally a legal term for an act of alienating lands. Meaning "extinguish a debt" (in form amortization) is attested from 1824. Related: Amortized; amortizing.