Fannie Mae

American  

Or Fanny Mae

noun

1. Federal National Mortgage Association.

2. any of the publicly traded securities collateralized by a pool of mortgages backed by the Federal National Mortgage Association.

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Fannie Mae British  

/ ˈfænɪ meɪ /

noun

1. (in the US)an informal name for the Federal National Mortgage Association, a private company that buys and sells mortgage debt

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Etymology

Origin of Fannie Mae

Altered from FNMA, the association's initials

Compare meaning

How does fannie-mae compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Ginnie Mae vs. Fannie Mae

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-backed mortgage giants, fell after Bill Pulte was appointed acting director of national intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Bill Pulte, who also leads the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, was named as the acting director of national intelligence, replacing Tulsi Gabbard.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy mortgages that they either hold or sell as securities, creating liquidity for the housing market.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

The city has also attracted major companies such as Fannie Mae, which relocated jobs from a California office.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Does my Aunt Fannie Mae know how much I miss her?

From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson