checking account

American  

noun

• checking accounts
  plural

1. a bank deposit against which checks can be drawn by the depositor.

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checking account British  

noun

1. the US name for current account

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• checking accounts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of checking account

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

checking account

Avoid lifestyle creep, where seeing more money in the checking account is tied to the feeling of more freedom to spend.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

Of the Fed’s major liabilities, two mostly are beyond its control: the deposits that the Treasury Department keeps in its checking account at the Fed, and physical cash.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026

To make your money work harder, avoid letting this reserve sit in a standard checking account earning 0.01% interest.

From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026

If you’re in the same boat, do what I wish I’d done: Set up automatic deposits equal to 10% of your pay from your checking account to a Roth IRA, up to the limit.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026

I learned a lot—like when you have a checking account, your money is separate from all the other money in the bank.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• deposit
• savings account