commercial bank

American  

noun

1. a bank specializing in checking accounts and short-term loans.

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commercial bank British  

noun

1. a bank primarily engaged in making short-term loans from funds deposited in current accounts

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Etymology

Origin of commercial bank

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

commercial bank

It was the first commercial bank on the continent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

When Maclin was asked to step over to run JPMorgan’s consumer franchise in 2011, he advocated for Petno to have a leadership role at the commercial bank.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Notably, Affirm is moving to become an industrial loan company rather than a commercial bank.

From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026

The deal will make the Madrid-headquartered firm the tenth largest retail and commercial bank in the U.S. by assets, and the fifth largest by deposits in the Northeast.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 4, 2026

The systems prevailing in New England, in Louisiana, in Ohio and in Indiana were eminently successful, and proved the soundness of the issue of bank-notes upon the assets of a well-conducted commercial bank.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3 "Banks" to "Bassoon" by Various