Finance, property given, deposited, or pledged to secure the fulfillment of an obligation, usually the repayment of a debt. In a secured loan financing, the borrower will grant a security interest in collateral as security for the performance of its obligations and the payment of its loan under a loan agreement.

Securities and capital markets, an instrument that represents ownership (stock), a creditor relationship (bond), or other right to ownership (option). The US securities laws (the Securities Act of 1933, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Investment Company Act of 1940, and Investment Advisers Act of 1940) define securities to be of an enumerated list of financial products.