Down payment

Etymology

From "down" in the sense of paid immediately, on the spot — “money down” — plus "payment". The adverb "down" here signals cash laid down at once rather than promised over time. The phrase contrasts the immediate portion with the financed remainder.

noun phrase · /DOWN PAY-munt/
The portion of a purchase price you pay up front, with the rest covered by a loan.
What it names
The cash you must have on hand before borrowing the rest — the barrier that often decides whether a big purchase is possible at all.
Example
Saving a 20% down payment took years but let them skip costly mortgage insurance.
Related idea
Distinguish a deposit: a down payment is a real slice of the final price that reduces what you borrow, while a deposit is often a smaller good-faith sum to hold the deal, which may or may not count toward the total.