building society

British

noun

a cooperative organization that accepts deposits of money from savers and uses them to make loans, secured by mortgages, to house buyers. Since 1986 they have been empowered to offer banking services

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Customers with bank accounts in the UK will see a significant increase in the amount of money that is protected if their bank or building society collapses.

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2025

The UK bank and building society sector has seen widespread branch closures in recent years, as many customers have switched to online and mobile banking.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

Fraud teams at Nationwide, the UK's biggest building society, said trusted friends could help potential victims avoid sending private or intimate images during new online relationships.

From BBC • Jun. 21, 2025

Prices were down 0.6% month-on-month, the building society said.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2025

Friendly societies have largely taken to investing their surplus funds in loans to members on the building society principle.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023