subprime

adj

1. (not-comparable)Less than prime; inferior.

   “subprime beef”

2. (US, not-comparable)Designating a loan (typically at a greater than usual rate of interest) offered to a borrower who is not qualified for other loans (for example, because of a poor credit history).

   “Central to the story was Steve Eisman, an eccentric and rebarbative hedge-funder who was one of the earliest to see through the subprime lies.”

3. (US, dated, not-comparable)Designating a type of commercial lending rate, less than the prime rate, offered to desirable borrowers.

noun

1. A subprime loan.