; lending
Loan vs. Lend: Usage Guide
The verb loan is one of the words English settlers brought to America and continued to use after it had died out in Britain. Its use was soon noticed by British visitors and somewhat later by the New England literati, who considered it a bit provincial. It was flatly declared wrong in 1870 by a popular commentator, who based his objection on etymology. A later scholar showed that the commentator was ignorant of Old English and thus unsound in his objection, but by then it was too late, as the condemnation had been picked up by many other commentators. Although a surprising number of critics still voice objections, loan is entirely standard as a verb. You should note that it is used only literally; lend is the verb used for figurative expressions, such as "lending a hand" or "lending enchantment."
Examples of lend in a Sentence
Julia Teti, WWD, 22 Nov. 2024
The two 42mm watches feature the same domed sapphire crystal, lending a vintage aesthetic, but most notably adopt the same mesh bracelet from the Bond watch.
—Jeremy White, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024
Timberlake, for his part, lent his support with a sweet comment beneath Biel’s Instagram post.
—Jp Mangalindan, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
The result is a hypnotically spiraling, singable score that lends some Italian italics to the dark, damning yet deeply funny story of a man who can’t escape the ugly monster within.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lend 
Dictionary Entries Near lend
Cite this Entry
“Lend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lend. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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lend
verb
; lending
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