Treasury bill

American  

Or treasury bill

noun

1. an obligation of the U.S. government represented by promissory notes in denominations ranging from $1000 to $1,000,000, with a maturity of about 90 days but bearing no interest, and sold periodically at a discount on the market.

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Treasury bill British  

noun

1. a short-term noninterest-bearing obligation issued by the Treasury, payable to bearer and maturing usually in three months, within which it is tradable on a discount basis on the open market

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Etymology

Origin of Treasury bill

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Treasury bill

Buying back long-dated bonds would likely be financed with more short-term Treasury bill issuance.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026

He’s sitting on a whopping $358 billion in cash equivalents at a time when Treasury bill rates are falling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026

Even the Treasury’s pivot toward heavier Treasury bill financing points to a world in which market structure, regulation, and innovation are quietly being marshaled to sustain an ever-larger debt load.

From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2025

It also potentially hinders the smooth functioning of the Treasury bill market.

From Reuters ● Sep. 21, 2023

He has frequently voted for river and harbor bills—voted for the Independent Treasury bill, and has, in and out of Congress, utterly denied the power of Congress over the franchise in the States.

From Presidential Candidates: containing Sketches, Biographical, Personal and Political, of Prominent Candidates for the Presidency in 1860 by D. W. Bartlett