___________ can be defined as the lending of money at excessive interest rates, or rates that are above the legal limit.

Usury is specifically defined as the practice of lending money at excessively high interest rates that surpass the legal limits set by law. Each state has its own regulations regarding what constitutes usurious rates, and they protect borrowers from predatory lending practices that can lead to significant financial hardship.

In contrast, unfair business practices encompass a broader category of unethical or deceptive conduct in business dealings, which may or may not include usury. Subprime lending refers to loans provided to borrowers with lower credit ratings, often at higher interest rates, but it does not inherently imply that the rates are illegal or excessively high. Non-traditional practices may include various unconventional methods of lending but do not specifically address the issue of excessive interest rates. Thus, usury is the most accurate term for the specific scenario of lending at rates exceeding legal limits.