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

A day after their largest one-day increases in more than a decade, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stock gave back some of those gains.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

Plus, mortgage-finance giant Fannie Mae to accept crypto-backed mortgages.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Department of Veterans Affairs and both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two federally sponsored companies, guarantee privately issued mortgages as a way to boost more plentiful and cheaper lending for American homebuyers.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

There doesn’t appear to be any news on administrative action that changes the prospects for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac investors.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

I smile and nod, thinking, Yes I do, because my Aunt Fannie Mae told me so.

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