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reserve bank

American  

noun

  1. one of the 12 principal banks of the U.S. Federal Reserve System.

  2. a bank authorized by a government to hold the reserves of other banks.


reserve bank British  

noun

  1. one of the twelve banks forming part of the US Federal Reserve System

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of reserve bank

First recorded in 1900–05

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.

“Sometimes people put out results that point one way and another reserve bank can put out results that point another way. This is how we get better.”

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

An estimate by the Chicago Fed forecasts that unemployment held steady in December at 4.6%, the reserve bank said Tuesday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 30, 2025

Trade Minister Vitumbiko Mumba has acknowledged that forex has to be rationed but says registered businesses can apply for essentials via the reserve bank or finance ministry.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2025

The bills “were hardly used, so economic activity will not be impacted,” Shaktikanta Das, the governor of India’s reserve bank, told reporters last week.

From New York Times • May 31, 2023

That is, any reserve bank desiring to contract its note obligations may at its discretion deposit with the federal reserve agent reserve notes, gold, or lawful money.

From Readings in Money and Banking Selected and Adapted by Phillips, Chester Arthur