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.

Bucking the trend of banks shutting stores, Nationwide, the UK's biggest building society, has pledged to keep all of its remaining 696 branches open until at least 2030.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

Prices fell by 0.8% last month, the biggest monthly decline since February 2023, which the building society said may reflect weaker demand following the changes to stamp duty in April.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2025

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

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2025

A proposed change to banking rules will increase significantly the amount of savers' money that is protected when a bank or building society goes under.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2025

It's easy enough to buy one in a building society if you're in reg'lar work.'

From The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Tressell, Robert

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