depository
Americannoun
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depositories
plural
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a place where something is deposited or stored, as for safekeeping.
the night depository of a bank.
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a depositary; trustee.
adjective
noun
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a store, such as a warehouse, for furniture, valuables, etc; repository
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a variant spelling of depositary
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of depository
1650–60; depository ( def. 1 ) < Medieval Latin dēpositōrium; depository ( def. 2 ) deposit + -ory 1 (noun use of adj. suffix)
Explanation
A depository is a place where things are kept or stored. You might call your city's Natural History Museum a depository of local dinosaur fossils. A library could also be called a book depository, since books are stored there, and the official name of Fort Knox, which once stored much of the gold in the US, is the United States Bullion Depository. The word depository literally means "place where things are deposited," from the Latin root deponere, "lay aside or deposit," combining de-, "away," and ponere, "to put."
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.
See Examples For:
The bank was the government’s lender, principal depository and financial agent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
According to a Korean language news report, the Korean depository reported that that applications for conversion will be possible from July 29.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
On an adjusted basis, it lost 9 cents per American depository receipt.
From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026
The company’s American depository receipts declined 2.4% that day, and continued their slide on Thursday, down 4.3% in midday trading.
From Barron's ● Apr. 16, 2026
Some 14,700 tons of silver worth more than $300 million were procured from the depository on the understanding that every ounce would be returned after the war.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
A-M Global Logistics operates a network of distribution hubs and secure depositories, capable of moving physical bullion at scale.
From Barron's ● Apr. 16, 2026
When that crisis affects the credibility of banks—whether they are fiduciaries, depositories or custodians of crypto assets—it puts the entire banking system and perhaps the economy at risk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
Neither Euroclear nor EU countries want to be seen as unreliable depositories of foreign wealth.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2025
They are the Earth’s greatest depositories of biodiversity, where evolution continues to this day and untold thousands of species are yet to be discovered.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 1, 2022
They are circular, of considerable height, and probably were erected as watch towers or depositories for the treasures of the church.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 2 "Camorra" to "Cape Colony" by Various
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