Borrow vs. Rent: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on September 30, 2023
Borrow means to take and use something belonging to someone else with the intention of returning it; Rent means to pay for the use of something, typically property, land, or a car, for a period.
Key Differences
Borrow is a verb that implies obtaining or receiving something, usually a tangible object, from someone with the intent of returning it. It doesn’t involve a monetary transaction between the lender and the borrower, and there is a mutual understanding that the borrowed item will be returned after a certain period or after its intended use is complete. The act of borrowing is predominantly based on trust and the interpersonal relationship between the involved parties.
Rent, on the other hand, refers to the process of paying for the temporary use of something, such as a piece of property, a vehicle, or an item. It usually involves a contractual agreement and a recurring payment, often monthly, for the continued use of the rented object. The entity that rents out the item retains ownership, and the renter is obliged to return it after the agreed-upon period or face penalties, thereby highlighting a more formal and structured arrangement compared to borrowing.
Borrow embodies a more informal and casual interaction usually among acquaintances, friends, or family. It revolves around mutual understanding and informal agreements, not usually bound by formal contracts or legal obligations. Borrowing is often spontaneous and immediate, based on immediate needs or requirements, and is inherently more flexible and adaptable due to the lack of rigid structures and formalities.
Conversely, rent is formal and often requires adherence to predetermined conditions and rules. Renting necessitates a structured and legal agreement, dictating the terms of use, duration, and payment, and is usually undertaken for longer and more substantial needs. Renting is meticulous, organized, and characterized by obligations and responsibilities, ensuring both parties adhere to the agreed-upon conditions and terms.
In essence, to borrow is to receive something temporarily from someone with the promise of returning it, often without monetary exchange. To rent is to pay for the temporary use of something, which involves a more structured, formal, and legal process with clear obligations and responsibilities on both sides.
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Comparison Chart
Monetary Exchange
Usually not involved.
Involved, a recurring payment often.
Formality
Informal, based on trust.
Formal, usually involves a contract.
Duration
Typically short-term.
Can be short-term or long-term.
Ownership
Remains with the lender.
Remains with the entity renting out.
Obligations
Based on mutual understanding.
Defined by a contractual agreement.
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Borrow and Rent Definitions
Borrow
To take something from someone with an intention to return it.
Can I borrow your book for a day?
Rent
To pay for the use of something for a certain period.
They decided to rent a car for the road trip.
Borrow
To use and adopt ideas or methods from another source.
The author tends to borrow themes from his life experiences.
Rent
To allow the use of one’s property in exchange for payment.
The owner decided to rent out the vacant apartment.
Borrow
To receive money with the promise of returning it.
She had to borrow money to pay for her tuition.
Rent
Payment, usually of an amount fixed by contract, made by a tenant at specified intervals in return for the right to occupy or use the property of another.
Borrow
To derive or draw upon another source for help.
He will borrow strength from his training.
Rent
A similar payment made for the use of a facility, equipment, or service provided by another.
Borrow
To obtain or receive (something) on loan with the promise or understanding of returning it or its equivalent.
Rent
The return derived from cultivated or improved land after deduction of all production costs.
Borrow
To adopt or use as one's own
I borrowed your good idea.
Rent
The difference between the price paid for use of a resource whose supply is inelastic and the minimum price at which that resource would still be provided. Also called economic rent.
Borrow
In subtraction, to take a unit from the next larger denomination in the minuend so as to make a number larger than the number to be subtracted.
Rent
An opening made by rending; a rip.
Borrow
(Linguistics) To adopt (a word) from one language for use in another.
Rent
A breach of relations between persons or groups; a rift.
Borrow
To borrow something.
Rent
To obtain occupancy or use of (another's property) in return for regular payments.
Borrow
(Linguistics) To adopt words from one language for use in another.
Rent
To grant temporary occupancy or use of (one's own property or a service) in return for regular payments
Rents out TV sets.
Borrow
To receive (something) from somebody temporarily, expecting to return it.
Rent
To be for rent
The cottage rents for $1,200 a month.
Borrow
To receive money from a bank or other lender under the agreement that the lender will be paid back over time.
Rent
A past tense and a past participle of rend.
Borrow
To adopt (an idea) as one's own.
To borrow the style, manner, or opinions of another
Rent
A payment made by a tenant at intervals in order to occupy a property.
I am asking £100 a week rent.
Borrow
(linguistics) To adopt a word from another language.
Rent
A similar payment for the use of a product, equipment or a service.
Borrow
(arithmetic) In a subtraction, to deduct (one) from a digit of the minuend and add ten to the following digit, in order that the subtraction of a larger digit in the subtrahend from the digit in the minuend to which ten is added gives a positive result.
Rent
(economics) A profit from possession of a valuable right, as a restricted license to engage in a trade or business.
A New York city taxicab license earns more than $10,000 a year in rent.
Borrow
To lend.
Rent
An object for which rent is charged or paid.
Borrow
(ditransitive) To temporarily obtain (something) for (someone).
Rent
(obsolete) Income; revenue.
Borrow
To feign or counterfeit.
Rent
A tear or rip in some surface.
Borrow
(obsolete except in ballads) To secure the release of (someone) from prison.
Rent
A division or schism.
Borrow
(informal) To receive (something, usually of trifling value) from somebody, with little possibility of returning it.
Can I borrow a sheet of paper?
Rent
(transitive) To occupy premises in exchange for rent.
I rented a house from my friend's parents for a year.
Borrow
(informal) To interrupt the current activity of (a person) and lead them away in order to speak with them, get their help, etc.
John, can I borrow you for a second? I need your help with the copier.
Rent
(transitive) To grant occupation in return for rent.
We rented our house to our son's friend for a year.
Borrow
(golf) To adjust one's aim in order to compensate for the slope of the green.
Rent
(transitive) To obtain or have temporary possession of an object (e.g. a movie) in exchange for money.
Borrow
Deviation of the path of a rolling ball from a straight line; slope; slant.
This putt has a big left-to right borrow on it.
Rent
(intransitive) To be leased or let for rent.
The house rents for five hundred dollars a month.
Borrow
A borrow pit.
Rent
Simple past tense and past participle of rend
Borrow
(programming) In the Rust programming language, the situation where the ownership of a value is temporarily transferred to another region of code.
Rent
That has been torn or rent; ripped; torn.
Borrow
(archaic) A ransom; a pledge or guarantee.
Rent
To rant.
Borrow
(archaic) A surety; someone standing bail.
Rent
To tear. See Rend.
Borrow
To receive from another as a loan, with the implied or expressed intention of returning the identical article or its equivalent in kind; - the opposite of lend.
Rent
To grant the possession and enjoyment of, for a rent; to lease; as, the owwner of an estate or house rents it.
Borrow
To take (one or more) from the next higher denomination in order to add it to the next lower; - a term of subtraction when the figure of the subtrahend is larger than the corresponding one of the minuend.
Rent
To take and hold under an agreement to pay rent; as, the tennant rents an estate of the owner.
Borrow
To copy or imitate; to adopt; as, to borrow the style, manner, or opinions of another.
Rites borrowed from the ancients.
It is not hard for any man, who hath a Bible in his hands, to borrow good words and holy sayings in abundance; but to make them his own is a work of grace only from above.
Rent
To be leased, or let for rent; as, an estate rents for five hundred dollars a year.
Borrow
To feign or counterfeit.
The borrowed majesty of England.
Rent
An opening made by rending; a break or breach made by force; a tear.
See what a rent the envious Casca made.
Borrow
To receive; to take; to derive.
Any drop thou borrowedst from thy mother.
Rent
Figuratively, a schism; a rupture of harmony; a separation; as, a rent in the church.
Borrow
Something deposited as security; a pledge; a surety; a hostage.
Ye may retain as borrows my two priests.
Rent
Income; revenue. See Catel.
[Bacchus] a waster was and all his rentIn wine and bordel he dispent.
So bought an annual rent or two,And liv'd, just as you see I do.
Borrow
The act of borrowing.
Of your royal presence I'll adventureThe borrow of a week.
Rent
Pay; reward; share; toll.
Death, that taketh of high and low his rent.
Borrow
Get temporarily;
May I borrow your lawn mower?
Rent
A certain periodical profit, whether in money, provisions, chattels, or labor, issuing out of lands and tenements in payment for the use; commonly, a certain pecuniary sum agreed upon between a tenant and his landlord, paid at fixed intervals by the lessee to the lessor, for the use of land or its appendages; as, rent for a farm, a house, a park, etc.
Borrow
Take up and practice as one's own
Rent
That portion of the produce of the earth paid to the landlord for the use of the "original and indestructible powers of the soil;" the excess of the return from a given piece of cultivated land over that from land of equal area at the "margin of cultivation." Called also economic rent, or Ricardian rent. Economic rent is due partly to differences of productivity, but chiefly to advantages of location; it is equivalent to ordinary or commercial rent less interest on improvements, and nearly equivalent to ground rent.
Borrow
To take words from another language.
English often borrows words from other languages.
Rent
A regular payment by a tenant to a landlord for use of some property
Rent
An opening made forcibly as by pulling apart;
There was a rip in his pants
She had snags in her stockings
Rent
The return derived from cultivated land in excess of that derived from the poorest land cultivated under similar conditions
Rent
The act of rending or ripping or splitting something;
He gave the envelope a vigorous rip
Rent
Let for money;
We rented our apartment to friends while we were abroad
Rent
Grant use or occupation of under a term of contract;
I am leasing my country estate to some foreigners
Rent
Engage for service under a term of contract;
We took an apartment on a quiet street
Let's rent a car
Shall we take a guide in Rome?
Rent
Hold under a lease or rental agreement; of goods and services
Rent
To be obtainable for rent.
The villa by the beach is available to rent for the summer.
Rent
To engage services or labor for a specific payment.
You can rent a guide to explore the mountain trails.
FAQs
Can you borrow things from anyone?
Borrowing typically occurs between acquaintances, friends, or family due to the trust involved.
Does borrowing involve a legal agreement?
Borrowing is usually informal and doesn’t require a legal agreement, unlike renting.
Do you need to be acquainted with someone to rent from them?
No, renting is usually a formal arrangement and doesn’t necessitate a personal relationship.
Can rent be paid at different intervals?
Yes, rent can be paid at agreed-upon intervals, typically monthly.
Is renting more structured than borrowing?
Yes, renting is generally more structured and involves formal agreements and payments.
Is borrowing always free of charge?
Typically, yes. Borrowing usually doesn’t involve a monetary exchange.
Is a contract needed to rent something?
Generally, yes. Renting usually involves a contract detailing the terms of the rental.
Can you borrow intangible things like ideas?
Yes, you can borrow ideas, methods, or themes from other sources.
Is the rented item always tangible?
Typically, yes, but services can also be rented, like renting a photographer’s services.
Is it necessary to return borrowed items?
Yes, it is expected that borrowed items will be returned to the owner.
Can borrowed items be used indefinitely?
No, borrowed items are expected to be returned after a certain period or use.
Can rent be negotiated?
Yes, rent prices can often be negotiated between the renter and the owner.
Can renting lead to ownership?
Sometimes, through rent-to-own agreements, renting can lead to ownership.
Does borrowing require mutual understanding?
Yes, borrowing typically requires mutual understanding and trust between parties.
Can borrowing lead to ownership?
Typically, no. Borrowing is temporary and doesn’t transfer ownership.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
