[əˈrɪəz], (Noun)

Definitions:
- money that is owed and should have been paid earlier
(e.g: he was suing the lessee for the arrears of rent)


Phrases:
- in arrears

Origin:
Middle English (first used in the phrase in arrear): from arrear (adverb) ‘behind, overdue’, from Old French arere, from medieval Latin adretro, from ad- ‘towards’ + retro ‘backwards’