World Bank

American  

noun

1. an international bank established in 1944 to help member nations reconstruct and develop, especially by guaranteeing loans: a specialized agency of the United Nations.

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World Bank British  

noun

1. Officially called: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.  an international cooperative organization established in 1945 under the Bretton Woods Agreement to assist economic development, esp of backward nations, by the advance of loans guaranteed by member governments

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Example Sentences

Around 2013, Walker left the Gates Foundation and moved to the World Bank through a secondment, meaning the foundation continued to pay her salary.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Some 90 million Nigerians -- a third of the nation -- don't have access to electricity at all, according to the World Bank.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

U.S. affordability of fertilizer is slated to fall to its lowest level since 2022, and that will erode farmers’ incomes and threaten future crop yields, the World Bank said.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

Malpass, who ran the World Bank from 2019 to 2023, also said that Beijing's claim to be a developing nation was no longer credible.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

In the end, Clinton prevailed on the World Bank to give Russia a loan.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French