microfinance en · NOUN
Etymology
From micro- + finance. Coined by German sociologist and economist Hans Dieter Seibel in 1990.
Meanings
-
(uncountable, usually) Finance that is provided to unemployed or low-income people or groups.
Microfinance, once a relative cottage industry championed by antipoverty activists and development wonks, is on the verge of a revolution, with billions of dollars from big banks, private-equity shops and pension funds pouring in.
2008 June 5, Barbara Kiviat, “The Big Trouble In Small Loans”, in Time, archived from the original on 09 Feb 2011:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| microfinances | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
microfinancing · microfinancial · microfinancier
Relateds
macrofinance · microcredit · microlending · microinsurance
Translations (4)
it microfinanza (finance provided to low-income people) · es microfinanza (finance provided to low-income people) · fr microfinance (finance provided to low-income people) · da mikrofinans (finance provided to low-income people)