Synonyms

seed money

American

noun

capital for the initial stages of a new business or other enterprise, especially for the initial operating costs.

seed money British

noun

money used for the establishment of an enterprise

"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 seed money

First recorded in 1940–45

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.

Whitesell launched a new firm with seed money from private equity firm Silver Lake, and last spring he started WIN Sports Group to represent professional football players.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

Withdrawals for accounts with no contributions beyond the $1,000 seed money would be fully taxable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Take a child born this year who gets the $1,000 seed money.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

A dispute over reforms to an SBA program that funds startups has cut the flow of seed money to Southern California’s defense tech firms.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

“Now then, as promised, we should discuss putting together a small group of backers to invest seed money in your show.”

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023