The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002.
amortization
(am-uhr-tuh-ZAY-shuhn, uh-mawr-tuh-ZAY-shuhn) A term that refers either to the gradual paying off of a debt in regular installments over a period of time or to the depreciation of the book value (that is, the standard assessed value) of an asset over a period of time.