trust fund

American  

noun

1. money, securities, property, etc., held in trust.

2. a government fund administered separately from other funds and used for a specified purpose.

   a highway trust fund.

---

trust fund British  

noun

1. money, securities, etc, held in trust

---

Etymology

Origin of trust fund

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

“And it’s not what people who donate to the trust fund think that they are paying for.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Blackstone went through a multiyear net withdrawal period at its giant nontraded real-estate investment trust fund, Breit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

The two are legally separate entities — but for illustrative purposes, a combined trust fund is figured to provide the actuarial status of the Social Security program as a whole.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund, which pays out retiree and survivor benefits, is expected to be depleted by the fourth quarter of 2032, according to Social Security’s chief actuary.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026

But the one time I had mentioned using money from my trust fund, Mother had cried—real tears.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett