arrear

arrear — noun

1. the situation of being late in paying money that you owe, such as a loan, rent,

1.nounB2
Definition

the situation of being late in paying money that you owe, such as a loan, rent, or a bill.

Example

The Watanabe family fell into arrears on their mortgage after Mr. Watanabe lost his job at the factory.

fall into arrears on + mortgage/loan/rent

Tenants who are in arrears with their rent may receive a formal warning letter from the landlord.

be in arrears with + rent/payment

Common collocations
  • fall into arrears
  • get into arrears
  • be in arrears
  • go into arrears
  • in arrears on payments
  • in arrears with rent
  • mortgage arrears
  • rent arrears
  • loan arrears
  • clear the arrears
  • pay off the arrears
Synonyms
  • overdue

    adjective describing a payment that is late; 'in arrears' focuses on the person's state

  • delinquent

    more formal and serious; often used in legal or credit contexts in American English

  • behind

    more informal and general; 'behind on payments' is a common alternative

Antonyms
  • up to date

    means all payments have been made on time

  • current

    the opposite of being in arrears — no payments are overdue

Grammar Patterns

be in arrears (with/on something)

fall/get into arrears (with/on something)

Usage Note

This sense is almost always used in the plural form 'arrears' or in fixed phrases such as 'in arrears'. The singular 'arrear' is very rare in modern English.

Common Mistakes

I am in arrear with my rent.
I am in arrears with my rent.
the word is always plural in this phrase.
He has many arrears to pay.
He is in arrears on several bills.
specify what obligations are behind.

2. tasks, duties, or other work that should have been completed earlier but remain

2.nounC1
Definition

tasks, duties, or other work that should have been completed earlier but remain undone.

Example

After returning from her long trip, Nadia had a large arrear of correspondence to deal with at the office.

arrear of + correspondence/work/business

The new manager spent the first week clearing the arrears of paperwork left by her predecessor.

Common collocations
  • arrear of work
  • arrear of correspondence
  • arrear of business
  • clear the arrears
  • deal with the arrears
  • catch up on arrears
Synonyms
  • backlog

    more common in modern English; refers to accumulated work needing attention

  • pending matters

    formal; focuses on items still waiting to be handled

Grammar Patterns

arrears of + work/business/correspondence

Usage Note

This sense is quite formal and less common in everyday conversation. It is typically used in British English with the preposition 'of' followed by a noun describing the type of undone work.

Common Mistakes

I have many arrears of tasks.
I have an arrear of correspondence to catch up on.
use the singular 'an arrear' or the plural 'arrears' with 'of' + a specific noun.

3. a specific amount of money that is owed because it was not paid when it was due.

3.nounB2
Definition

a specific amount of money that is owed because it was not paid when it was due.

Example

The company is owed more than fifty thousand dollars in arrears on unpaid invoices from last year.

amount + in arrears on + specific obligation

Benjamin used the money from selling his old car to clear all the arrears on his credit card debt.

clear the arrears on + debt type

Common collocations
  • pay the arrears
  • clear the arrears
  • rent arrears
  • mortgage arrears
  • tax arrears
  • loan arrears
  • arrears of salary
  • accumulate arrears
  • outstanding arrears
  • total arrears
Synonyms
  • overdue payment

    more general; simply describes the late status without the financial formality

  • back payment

    refers to a payment that should have been made earlier

  • debt

    broader in meaning; arrears are a specific type of overdue debt

Antonyms
  • advance payment

    payment made before a service is provided, the opposite of paying after

Grammar Patterns

pay/clear the arrears

amount in arrears

arrears of + amount

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 3 refers to the actual unpaid amount of money (a countable debt), whereas sense 1 describes the state or condition of being behind. You can 'owe £500 in arrears' (sense 3) or 'be in arrears on your mortgage' (sense 1).

Common Mistakes

I have an arrear of £500.
I owe £500 in arrears.' or 'There is £500 in arrears on my account.
the amount is described as being 'in arrears', not as 'an arrear'.

4. the financial arrangement by which payment is made after the service period or t

4.nounC1
Definition

the financial arrangement by which payment is made after the service period or term has finished, rather than before it starts.

Example

Most salaried employees are paid in arrears, receiving their wages at the end of each working month.

paid in arrears (payment after work completed)

The consultant agreed to payment in arrears at the end of each project phase.

Common collocations
  • paid in arrears
  • paid in arrear (singular)
  • in arrear of the term
  • payment in arrears
  • interest in arrears
Synonyms
  • post-paid

    a synonym in business contexts; describes payment after service delivery

Antonyms
  • in advance

    payment made before the service period begins; the direct opposite of 'in arrears'

  • prepaid

    paid before consumption or use

Grammar Patterns

paid in arrear(s)

in arrear of + specific term

Usage Note

The singular form 'in arrear' is more common in this sense in British accounting and legal usage, though 'in arrears' is also widely used. This is a technical, distinct meaning from the negative sense of being behind on payments.

Common Mistakes

Being paid in arrears means you get paid early.
Being paid in arrears means you receive your salary after the work is done, not before.
the term describes payment timing, not lateness.
Idioms

in arrears

idiom

behind schedule in making a payment or fulfilling an obligation at the time it is due.

After months of financial trouble, the school was three months in arrears on its electricity bill.

The charity warned that rent was already in arrears and threatened to lock the doors if nothing was paid by Friday.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms describe a situation where a payment has not been made on time, but they differ in usage and register. 'In arrears' is the most formal and specific term, used almost exclusively in financial and legal contexts — it describes the state of being late with scheduled payments like rent, a mortgage, or a loan. 'Overdue' is more general and can describe any late payment, library book, or deadline; it focuses on the item itself rather than the person's state. 'Delinquent' is primarily American English and carries stronger negative implications, often used in credit reports or legal notices — it suggests a serious or prolonged failure to pay. 'Behind' is the most informal and conversational option: 'I'm behind on my car payments' sounds natural in everyday speech. In business writing, 'in arrears' remains the standard. For example: 'The tenant is three months in arrears on the rent' (formal), vs 'I'm a bit behind on my bills this month' (informal).

in arrears ↗overdue ↗delinquent ↗behind ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • in arrears with something
  • in arrears on something
  • fall into arrears
  • get into arrears

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'arrear' comes from Old French 'arere' (backwards, behind), which developed from Latin 'ad retro' — a combination of 'ad' (to) and 'retro' (backwards). It entered English in the 14th century as a legal and financial term meaning 'behind in payments' or 'at the end of a term'. The plural form 'arrears' became the standard usage by the 17th century, and the singular 'arrear' has largely faded from everyday English, surviving mainly in fixed legal and accounting phrases like 'in arrear' (singular) in British usage.

First known use

1586

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1