arrears
Arrears are accumulated debts that have not yet been paid upon the due date. For instance, if someone falls $5000 behind in paying for their mortgage, then they have built up $5000 in arrears.
See also: arrearages.
See, e.g., Simmons v. NYS Dept. of Social Services (2019).
[Last reviewed in June of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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