central bank

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.

central bank

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of central bank¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

South Korea’s central bank maintained its policy rate at 2.50% for the fourth consecutive meeting, staying on the sidelines as it raised its growth and inflation forecasts.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Ten out of 11 economists in a Wall Street Journal poll had expected no action at the central bank’s final rate-setting meeting of the year.

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This has long been the case to curb the flight of capital out of the country, and to protect the reserves of the Argentina central bank.

Read more on BBC

Those points could give the central bank more leeway to lower interest rates at its final meeting of the year.

Read more on Barron's

Those points could give the central bank more leeway to lower interest rates at its final meeting of the year.

Read more on Barron's