funds
Britishplural noun
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money that is readily available
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British government securities representing national debt
Explanation
The money you have available at a given time are your funds. If you only get paid once a month, you have to budget carefully so you don't run out of funds between paychecks. The word funds comes from the Latin word fundus, which means "bottom," "base," or "a piece of property." It's not clear how the noun funds got from property to available cash, but perhaps the connection came because a person could base his financial security on being able to sell his land if he needed ready money. If your kids are low on funds, they will probably hit you up for an advance on their allowances. The request will probably begin something like, "How much do you love me?" Too bad that doesn't work at your bank!
Vocabulary lists containing funds
Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963), List 1
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Supreme Court healthcare ruling
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her team also navigated the city’s complex matching funds program, which quickly secured $1.25 million in taxpayer money to power her campaign.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
The firm until 2024 maintained a large life-insurance business alongside its property-casualty arm, and both invested in hedge funds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
The firm collapsed in 2022 amid claims that Bankman-Fried had been using deposited funds as his own, including to make personal investments and pay debts.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Gerstner expressed concerns that investors are “layering up” right now, noting that “there are 14 exchange-traded funds launching on the day of the SpaceX IPO,” some of which are aimed at levering returns.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
Later that very day, investors in the collapsed Bear Stearns hedge funds were informed that their $1.6 billion in triple-A-rated subprime-backed CDOs had not merely lost some value, they were worthless.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
