Paying

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈpeɪ.ɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of giving money to settle a debt or purchase goods or services ; fulfilling a responsibility or obligation by acting accordingly
2. Providing funds to complete a transaction or debt ; carrying out necessary tasks or duties as expected
3. Transferring money to fulfill financial obligations ; executing a required action or performing one's role as needed

Etymology: The verb "pay" reaches English through a long chain: it descends from Latin "pacare," meaning "to pacify," and the Latin "pax" ("peace") sits at its root. The sense that made it famous is a kind of peacemaking. To pay a debt was to settle a quarrel or appease a creditor, so the money was a means of restoring calm between two parties. That idea of soothing an obligation survives in the verb's core meaning today. The path ran through Old French "paier," which grew out of Latin "pācāre," and Middle English took it up as "payen." English then added its own suffix, "-ing," which in this word is the ordinary verbal ending that turns "pay" into an action in progress, so "paying" describes the ongoing act of settling accounts or fulfilling duties.

Synonyms: settling, remitting, disbursing, compensating, reimbursing

Antonyms: owing, debting, withholding, defaulting, delaying