🇺🇸
/ɑːr/
🇺🇸
/ɑːr/
🇬🇧
/ˈɛr/
🇬🇧
/ˈɛr/
Plural
arrears
Arrears refers to money that is overdue and unpaid — like rent, taxes, or loan installments that should have been paid earlier but haven’t been. Think of it as a financial 'backlog': if you skip two months of rent, those missed payments are now 'in arrears'. It’s almost always used in the plural form 'arrears', even when referring to a single debt.
The tenant was evicted after accumulating six months' arrears in rent.
The company offered a discount to customers who cleared their electricity arrears before the end of the month.
She received an official letter warning her that her student loan was now in arrears.
Municipal authorities waived late fees for water bill arrears during the pandemic.
His salary arrears were finally settled after the labor tribunal ruling.
arrere
Comes from the Anglo-Norman and Old French verb 'arere' (later 'arrier'), meaning 'to be behind' or 'to lag', itself derived from the Latin prefix 'ad-' (to, toward) + 'retro' (back, backward). It conveys the core idea of being overdue, delayed, or falling behind in time or obligation. Examples include arrears, arrere (archaic English legal term), and the related 'rear' (as in 'the back part'). Core meaning: 'backward in time or position; overdue'.