Usury

Usury () is, today, the practice of making unethical or immoral monetary loans that unfairly enrich the lender. Originally, usury meant interest of any kind. A loan may be considered usurious because of excessive or abusive interest rates or other factors. Historically in Christian societies, and in many Islamic societies today, charging any interest at all can be considered usury. Someone who practices usury can be called a usurer, but a more common term in contemporary English is loan shark.