fund
Americannoun
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funds
plural
-
a supply of money or pecuniary resources, as for some purpose.
a fund for his education;
a retirement fund.
-
supply; stock.
a fund of knowledge;
a fund of jewels.
-
funds, money immediately available; pecuniary resources.
to be momentarily without funds.
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an organization created to administer or manage a fund, as of money invested or contributed for some special purpose.
verb (used with object)
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funds,
present (3rd person singular)
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funded,
past participle, past
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funding
present participle
-
to provide a fund to pay the interest or principal of (a debt).
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to convert (general outstanding debts) into a more or less permanent debt, represented by interest-bearing bonds.
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to allocate or provide funds for (a program, project, etc.).
noun
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a reserve of money, etc, set aside for a certain purpose
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a supply or store of something; stock
it exhausted his fund of wisdom
verb
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to furnish money to in the form of a fund
-
to place or store up in a fund
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to convert (short-term floating debt) into long-term debt bearing fixed interest and represented by bonds
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to provide a fund for the redemption of principal or payment of interest of
-
to accumulate a fund for the discharge of (a recurrent liability)
to fund a pension plan
-
to invest (money) in government securities See also funds
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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fundernoun
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overfundnoun
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underfundingnoun
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overfundverb (used with object)
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prefundverb (used with object)
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underfundverb (used with object)
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nonfundedadjective
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underfundedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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fundsimple
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fundssimple
-
have fundedperfect
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has fundedperfect
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am fundingprogressive
-
are fundingprogressive
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is fundingprogressive
-
have been fundingperfect progressive
-
has been fundingperfect progressive
Past
-
fundedsimple
-
had fundedperfect
-
was fundingprogressive
-
were fundingprogressive
-
had been fundingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fund
First recorded in 1670–80; from Latin fundus “bottom, estate”; replacing fond 2 in most of its senses
Explanation
A fund is a supply of money to be used for a specific purpose. You can start a fund for almost anything, such as your child’s education, a new car, or the establishment of the world’s largest origami collection. Fund can be used as a verb meaning “provide funds for something.” If you’re unable to save up the money to start your origami collection, you might ask a friend to fund it. (We predict she’ll say no.) An organization that raises money for a particular, often charitable, purpose can also be called a fund. We doubt an origami collection warrants its own fund, but there's no harm in trying.
Vocabulary lists containing fund
"The Sporting Spirit"
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Word Generation Weekly - Series 1
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 19
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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:
The run-up in interest rates in recent years has complicated efforts to fund affordable housing projects, said Shaun Donovan, who was housing and urban development secretary during the Obama administration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
The fund can also provide wider support and advice to help people improve their financial resilience and avoid future crises, according to the council's website.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Those fines ought to go into a fund to assist Juan Galicia and others like him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
Here is a look at Poland’s stock market, including an exchange-traded fund for U.S. investors that has performed remarkably well, and including three stock picks.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
Prominent on the list was a hedge fund called FrontPoint Partners.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Do you know of, or can you suggest, what recourse I have to recover these funds?
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery aims to raise funds to double its capacity to 1.4 million barrels a day by 2028, which would make it the world's largest refinery, surpassing Jamnagar in India.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
It takes careful financial planning and more saving, to make sure both spouses have the funds to maintain their lifestyles and pay for whatever care they may need as they age.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
But choosing a state like Florida is rarely just about savings: For some, total spending remains almost the same, or even rises, but funds shift toward upgraded amenities or travel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
While working on her Surinam book, Maria painted a beautiful series of seashells on commission to bolster her dwindling funds.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s international travel is paid for by the California State Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit that is funded primarily by corporate donations and run by a board Newsom appoints.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
The royal residence in London is undergoing a 10-year refurbishment plan - funded through a temporary increase in the Sovereign Grant, which pays for the official duties of the royals.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026
“I have funded my investigation, the Turkish proceedings, and DDG’s work from my own savings.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The father disapproved of the stock market, but the payout from his death funded his son into it.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
"I'm all for that, so I'm getting behind these community groups with the funding and expertise they need to get more great ideas off the ground and widen their impact."
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Archy, a San Jose, Calif.-based AI platform for dental practice management, scored $50 million in Series C funding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
UK Sport ranks athletes by how likely they are to win medals at major events, and gives more funding to those whose chances it believes are better.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Covenant, a Washington, D.C.-based defense technology startup building long-range precision strike weapons, emerged from stealth with $250 million in funding across three rounds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
“Oh. Yes. Someone I’d been relying on to back our funding application withdrew his support, I don’t suppose it was that unexpected, anyway.”
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
