1.NounA force compounded by means of a lever rotating around a pivot.
"A crowbar uses leverage to pry nails out of wood."
2.NounAny influence which is compounded or used to gain an advantage.
"Try using competitors’ prices for leverage in the negotiation."
3.NounThe use of borrowed funds with a contractually determined return to increase the ability to invest and earn an expected higher return, but usually at high risk.
"Leverage is great until something goes wrong with your investments and you still have to pay your debts."
4.NounThe debt-to-equity ratio.
5.NounThe ability to earn very high returns when operating at high-capacity utilization of a facility.
"Their variable-cost-reducing investments have dramatically increased their leverage."
6.NounThe distance of between an independent observation and other observations.
7.VerbTo use; to exploit; to manipulate in order to take full advantage (of something).
"They plan to leverage the publicity into a good distribution agreement.; They plan to leverage off the publicity to get a good distribution agreement."