Skip to main content
reserve fund

reserve fund

3 4.1
Money set aside to pay for future costs or emergencies
  • noun
  • /rɪˈzɜrv fʌnd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fondo de reserva
  • The best plan of all, experts say, is to have a reserve fund to cover about two months' office expenses.

Examples

  • If a reserve fund is impractical, a bank line of credit may be an alternative.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Boutros-Ghali also has asked for a $1 billion reserve fund for peacekeeping.

    Academic text (1993)
  • The state of reserve funds will determine how many "big ticket" items can be purchased.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Create reserve funds for a minimum of 5 percent of total allocation.

    Academic text (2015)
  • The capital reserve fund was tapped out.

    Academic text (2004)
  • More than 80 percent of its revenues go into a reserve fund estimated to reach tens of billions of dollars.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Interest on international loans had not been paid in months, reserve funds were depleted, inflation was out of control, and economic output was sinking.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Tax revenues dried up, and because the city did not have a reserve fund policy in place until June 2006, it was especially vulnerable to periods of reduced revenues.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Jim Orlow, an immigration lawyer in Philadelphia, had to drain his reserve fund between July and September, after tapping it only once in the past seven years.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The organization set aside a portion of its profits in a reserve fund to ensure it could handle unexpected expenses.

Synonyms

savings
vsreserve fund
606 1.0

Money put aside, often in a bank, to use later or for emergencies

is money taken from profits to cover future costs and liabilities
fund
vsreserve fund
245 1.6

An amount of something kept for future use

is an amount taken from earnings to meet upcoming liabilities
reserve
vsreserve fund
194 3.5

A supply kept for future use, often in an emergency

is money specifically taken from income to cover future liabilities
store
vsreserve fund
113 1.0

A supply of things kept for future use

is limited to sums of money set aside from profits for expenses
funds
vsreserve fund
5 1.0

Money available to spend for a specific purpose

is specifically money set aside from income for future expenses
reserve assets
vsreserve fund
  • Specialized
1 5.8

Money that a government, bank, or company keeps for future needs

is an amount set aside from earnings for expenses, not only institutional
reserve account
vsreserve fund
  • Specialized
1 4.3

A place a bank or company keeps money to pay future costs

is the amount rather than the place where money is kept
monetary fund
vsreserve fund
3.9

Money set aside for a specific purpose by an organization or government

is a general amount taken from income, not only used by governments
safety cushion
vsreserve fund
3.7

Extra money you keep for unexpected bills or emergencies

is money allocated from profits to cover anticipated expenses or liabilities

Antonyms

Money you keep to buy small things like coffee or snacks

How Big

public treasury
  • Formal
2 4.1
exchequer
  • UK
1 9.7
funds
5 1.0
reserve fund
  • Specialized
3 4.1
pocket money
  • UK
8 1.5

Surface Forms

reserve fund singular
reserve funds plural

Morphology

reserve + fund

The meaning of 'reserve fund' is directly derivable from combining 'reserve' (something kept for emergencies or special purposes) with 'fund' (a sum of money for a purpose). This noun–noun composition follows a common English pattern and is cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Reserve fund comes from the simple image of keeping money aside, like putting cash in a box for a rainy day. The word reserve means to keep back and fund means money, so a reserve fund is money saved 'for emergencies' or 'to pay big costs later'.