Fannie Mae

American  

Or Fanny Mae

noun

1. Federal National Mortgage Association.

2. any of the publicly traded securities collateralized by a pool of mortgages backed by the Federal National Mortgage Association.

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Fannie Mae British  

/ ˈfænɪ meɪ /

noun

1. (in the US)an informal name for the Federal National Mortgage Association, a private company that buys and sells mortgage debt

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Etymology

Origin of Fannie Mae

Altered from FNMA, the association's initials

Compare meaning

How does fannie-mae compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Ginnie Mae vs. Fannie Mae

Example Sentences

Immediately on confirmation he was handed a second giant portfolio—chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

Mr. Pulte, a housing scion, at least had some qualifications to regulate the government housing giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

In an announcement on his social media platform on Tuesday, Trump praised Pulte for overseeing government-controlled mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are improving efficiency, Wedbush analysts wrote.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

Holds it tight like my Aunt Fannie Mae did, like she’s never going to let me go.

From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson