Dictionary

hypothecate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /haɪˈpɒθɪkeɪt/ (UK)

Etymology

From Latin hypothecatus, past participle of hypotheco, hypothecare. This was in turn derived from Ancient Greek ὑποθήκη (hupothḗkē, “pledge”), from the verb ὑποτίθημι (hupotíthēmi, “to pledge as surety”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To pledge (something) as surety for a loan; to pawn, mortgage.
   • ‘My husband, Jasper Murdock, provided in his will that no part of his collection might be sold, loaned or hypothecated during my lifetime.’ 1943, Raymond Chandler, The High Window, Penguin, published 2005, page 12:
2. (UK) To designate a new tax or tax increase for a specific expenditure.
   • The levy needed primary legislation and permission from the Treasury to hypothecate the proceeds back into the new line. It meant that the Greater London Authority could borrow against future income from the levy. 2022 November 30, Peter Plisner, “Can land value capture set projects free?”, in RAIL, number 971, page 51:
3. (Australia) To designate in advance the specific purpose of expenditure for government revenues (especially taxes).
   • "Levying customs duties and excises on necessities also ensured a relatively secure source of revenue. Revenues were generally hypothecated in an attempt to draw support from the public, for example funding an orphanage, gaol, hospital equipment and building works around Sydney." A brief history of Australia's tax system; Sam Reinhardt and Lee Steel; 04 September 2006

Forms

Deriveds

hypothecable · rehypothecate · hypothecatable · hypothecation · hypothecator · unhypothecated · hypothecatee

Relateds

hypothecation · hypothec

Translations (7)

es hipotecar (pledge as surety) · fr hypothéquer (pledge as surety) · bg ипотекирам (pledge as surety) · it ipotecare (pledge as surety) · de beleihen (pledge as surety) · de verpfänden (pledge as surety) · is veðsetja (pledge as surety)