The practice of lending money at an interest rate that exceeds the legal limit set by law, or historically, charging any interest at all on loans.
From Latin 'usuria' meaning 'use of money lent,' derived from 'usus' (use). Medieval canon law initially prohibited all interest charges as sinful, but the concept evolved to prohibit only excessive interest rates as commerce expanded.
Usury laws are the financial world's speed limits—they vary wildly by state and can make the same loan perfectly legal in one place and criminally illegal across the state line! Modern credit cards and payday loans have pushed these ancient concepts to their breaking point.
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