a place where the funds of the government, of a corporation, or the like are deposited, kept, and disbursed.
funds or revenue of a government, public or private corporation, etc.
(initial capital letter) the department of government that has control over the collection, management, and disbursement of the public revenue.
a building, room, chest, or other place for the preservation of treasure or valuable objects.
a collection or supply of excellent or highly prized writings, works of art, etc..
a treasury of American poetry.
Informal. Treasuries, Treasury bills, bonds, and notes.
a storage place for treasure
the revenues or funds of a government, private organization, or individual
a place where funds are kept and disbursed
Also: treasure house. a collection or source of valuable items
a treasury of information
1250–1300; Middle English tresorie < Old French. See treasure, -y 3
A treasury is a kind of bank — it's a place where money and other valuable things are kept, or where a country keeps its wealth. You might guess that a treasury is a place to keep your treasure, and you'd be right. Originally, the word literally meant "room for treasure," from the Old French tresor, "hoard or treasure." Starting in the late 1300s, it also meant "department that controls public revenue," which remains the most common use of treasury today. The U.S. even has an official Department of the Treasury, the part of the executive branch that prints money and collects taxes.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that the U.S. has authorized Iranian oil sales through August following “productive talks” between Tehran and Washington in Switzerland over the weekend, according to a post on X.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026
It was a sea change as investors previously would have to guess the Fed’s posture toward interest rates by watching for changes in the Treasury bond market.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026
The Fed reduced the size of its reserve-management program from $40 billion per month to $10 billion, at the same time Treasury buybacks have been curtailed by about 50%.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026
Greenspan’s reluctance to cut interest rates more aggressively after the 1990-91 recession led to an especially icy relationship with Treasury Secretary Nick Brady, who canceled their golf dates at Augusta National and weekly breakfasts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
Although her main job involved tracking spies and ships for the Treasury Department and the Coast Guard, others in Washington sought her help, too.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
