bankroll

[bangk-rohl]

noun

1. money in one's possession; monetary resources.

verb (used with object)

1. Informal.,  to finance; provide funds for.

   to bankroll a new play.

bankroll

/ ˈbæŋkˌrəʊl /

noun

1. a roll of currency notes

2. the financial resources of a person, organization, etc

verb

1. slang,  (tr) to provide the capital for; finance

Other Word Forms

• bankroller noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bankroll¹

First recorded in 1885–90; bank ² + roll

Example Sentences

This situation leaves open the question of whether the public has a right to know who is bankrolling a nonprofit’s activity.

From Salon

South Park has spent decades reveling in its own poor taste, but the people who bankroll the show have their limits.

From Salon

At the start of her career, when she was signed to a US label, that made it impossible to bankroll a European tour.

From BBC

GOP lawmakers argued that the public and legislators had little time to review the maps of the proposed congressional districts and questioned who crafted the new districts and bankrolled the effort.

From Los Angeles Times

But the effort was ultimately bogged down by internal bureaucracy and international pressure — most notably from Qatar and Turkey, both sometime U.S. partners that harbor strong Brotherhood sympathies and bankroll Islamist causes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• finance 
• subsidize