central bank

American  

noun

1. a bank, as the Federal Reserve Bank, that holds basic banking reserves, issues currency, and acts as lender of last resort and controller of credit.

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central bank British  

noun

1. a national bank that does business mainly with a government and with other banks: it regulates the volume and cost of credit

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Etymology

Origin of central bank

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

central bank

In his first few months on the job, Warsh insisted the central bank would return the U.S. to an era of low inflation like the one that persisted before the pandemic.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026

Kevin Warsh, who took the helm at the central bank in May, regained badly needed credibility with the hike after a shaky start to his tenure.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026

The dollar lost some steam, particularly against the Japanese yen, as markets price in central bank decisions with an uncertain outlook.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Mexico’s central bank is due to announce a decision on Thursday, where it is expected to leave interest rates on hold at 6.5%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

One kind of monetary policy, which involves the central bank buying private assets, is chunked as quantitative easing.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker