Financing definition

Financing is the way an individual, company, or government raises money to fund expenses, operations, investments, or growth. It supplies capital when available cash is not enough, or when that cash is better kept for other uses.

Financing draws on borrowed funds, internal cash flow, or a mix of the two. A company might finance the purchase of equipment, an expansion, an acquisition, or its day-to-day working capital, and the cost and obligations attached depend on the source it picks.

The two main forms are debt financing and equity financing. Debt financing borrows money that must be repaid with interest and leaves ownership intact; equity financing raises money by selling ownership shares and carries no repayment but dilutes existing owners.

Financing Example

A company needs USD 500,000 to buy new equipment.

It takes a bank loan for the full amount and agrees to repay it with interest over five years.

This is financing because the company uses borrowed capital to fund a business investment instead of paying the full amount from existing cash.