treasury
noun
a place where the funds of the government, of a corporation, or the like are deposited, kept, and disbursed.
treasury
American
[trezh-uh-ree]
/ ˈtrɛʒ ə ri /
noun
-
treasuries
plural
-
a place where the funds of the government, of a corporation, or the like are deposited, kept, and disbursed.
-
funds or revenue of a government, public or private corporation, etc.
-
(initial capital letter) the department of government that has control over the collection, management, and disbursement of the public revenue.
-
a building, room, chest, or other place for the preservation of treasure or valuable objects.
-
a collection or supply of excellent or highly prized writings, works of art, etc..
a treasury of American poetry.
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Informal. Treasuries, Treasury bills, bonds, and notes.
treasury
1
British
/ ˈtrɛʒərɪ /
noun
-
a storage place for treasure
-
the revenues or funds of a government, private organization, or individual
-
a place where funds are kept and disbursed
-
Also: treasure house. a collection or source of valuable items
a treasury of information
Treasury
2
British
/ ˈtrɛʒərɪ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of treasury
1250–1300; Middle English tresorie < Old French. See treasure, -y 3
Explanation
A treasury is a kind of bank — it's a place where money and other valuable things are kept, or where a country keeps its wealth. You might guess that a treasury is a place to keep your treasure, and you'd be right. Originally, the word literally meant "room for treasure," from the Old French tresor, "hoard or treasure." Starting in the late 1300s, it also meant "department that controls public revenue," which remains the most common use of treasury today. The U.S. even has an official Department of the Treasury, the part of the executive branch that prints money and collects taxes.
Vocabulary lists containing treasury
This Week In Words: November 28–December 4, 2020
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American Naturalization Test, List 2
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for April 16–April 22, 2022
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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:
Benna, then a corporate benefits consultant, brought what he called his “aggressive interpretation” of section 401 to treasury officials, who took his suggestions on board.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The Secretary of State comes next in line, followed by the treasury secretary.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Both the 2028 Games and those future events will help fill Pasadena hotels, restaurants and shops, bolstering the local economy and adding tax dollars to the city treasury, according to supporters of the plan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
Jamie Dimon — long considered a potential candidate to be treasury secretary, and the person in charge of one of the nation’s primary dealers of Treasury securities — says he wouldn’t buy American debt.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
The treasury swelled until it was like a hill of jewels.
From "Beowulf: A New Telling" by Robert Nye
The 30-year Treasury yield rose 1.7 basis points to 5.228% while the 10-year equivalent rose 1.8 basis points to 4.659%, Tradeweb data showed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Treasury Secretary, and it’s the sagging yen he’s fighting to defend, not the dollar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Treasury yields kept falling as U.S. inflation moderated while the U.S.-Iran standoff continued.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The yield on the policy-sensitive two-year Treasury declined 0.059 percentage point to 4.139%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
In the meantime, the unit remained in its longtime home in the Treasury Annex on Pennsylvania Avenue.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Vibe-trading digital oil is like vibe-hedging in treasuries during Hormuz risk-off.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
Over the last year, banks and other financial services firms have made it easier for small investors to buy crypto — exchange traded funds and firms that have constructed themselves as crypto treasuries have proliferated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 28, 2025
What we’re seeing now is like a silent IPO: early, oversized holders distributing to a much broader base of buyers who came in through ETFs, brokerages and corporate treasuries.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 17, 2025
But she says the process won’t be a drain on foreign treasuries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025
The shafts ran down by many slopes and spiral stairs to caverns far under; there Saruman had treasuries, store-houses, armouries, smithies, and great furnaces.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
