index fund

American  

noun

1. a fund, as a mutual fund or pension fund, with a portfolio that contains many of the securities listed in a major stock index in order to match the performance of the stock market generally.

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Etymology

Origin of index fund

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

index fund

Even if you have been riding the semiconductor wave with an index fund this year, it hasn’t been fun to watch your brokerage account decline so much in less than three weeks.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

By law, the money must be invested in a low-cost index fund designed for long-term growth.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Of course, if you already own a broadly diversified index fund, you’re assured of capturing the return of the overall stock market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

If a worker had invested $83 per month in an S&P 500 index fund and reinvested dividends, the account would have grown to some $55,000 by now.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

For most investors the investment implication is to buy and hold a broad-market index fund, which over time reliably beats 90% of managers vying to outperform a benchmark index.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026