The action of, or an instance of the action of the verb to lend.
"She spent her Saturday afternoon lending books to her neighbors from her overflowing shelf."
In plain English: Lending is when you let someone borrow something with the promise they will give it back later.
"The lending library is closed on Sundays, so I will have to return my books by Friday evening."
Usage: Use this noun when referring specifically to the act of giving something temporarily rather than the permanent transfer implied by gifting. It is often paired with a direct object in phrases like "a lending of resources" though such constructions are less common than using it as part of a verb phrase.
present participle of lend
"The borrower returned the book after finishing his weekend reading while lending it to him had been a generous gesture."
In plain English: Lending means giving something to someone else for them to use temporarily with the promise they will return it later.
"She is lending me her car for the weekend trip."
That lends.
"The new policy lends credibility to their claims by providing verifiable data."