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.

See Examples For:

seed money

It might take a little time for the $1,000 seed money to show up in some cases, financial advisers say.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Treasury Department officials said on the same day that the $1,000 seed money would begin to show up in accounts.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

In addition, some 25 million children ages 10 and under are eligible for $250 in seed money provided by a donation from tech billionaire Michael Dell and his wife, Susan.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026

The law also authorized the pilot program donating the $1,000 seed money to eligible children.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026

“Give up what? We ain’t got nothing. Nothing but the seed money, two dollars.”

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

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