- money that somebody owes that they have not paid at the right time
- rent/mortgage/tax arrears
Extra ExamplesTopics Moneyc2, Houses and homesc2- The country had accumulated arrears of $80 million on loans of $400 million.
- The government has agreed to pay all arrears owed to members of the armed forces.
- The local authority must try to recover arrears of rent.
- There have been sharp increases in arrears on interest payments.
- The family is facing eviction over mortgage arrears.
- Unions are demanding the settlement of pay arrears.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- debt
- mortgage
- rent
- …
- fall into
- get into
- owe
- …
- amount to something
- total something
- in arrears
- arrears on
Word OriginMiddle English (first used in the phrase in arrear): from arrear (adverb) ‘behind, overdue’, from Old French arere, from medieval Latin adretro, from ad- ‘towards’ + retro ‘backwards’.
Idioms
See arrears in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionarybe in arrears | get/fall into arrears
- to be late in paying money that you owe
- We're two months in arrears with the rent.
- Our tenants have fallen into arrears with their rent.
in arrears
- if money or a person is paid in arrears for work, the money is paid after the work has been done
- You will be paid monthly in arrears.
Check pronunciation:
arrears