security deposit
- noun
- /sɪˈkjʊrɪti dɪˈpɒzɪt/
- Specialized
- Heather's landlord refused to return her $200 security deposit when she moved out of her apartment.
- security deposit can cover
Yeah OP, that cost way more than she put down on the security deposit.
- Yeah OP, that cost way more than she put down on the security deposit.
- So how do I, in a friction free fashion, browse through dozens or hundreds of websites, post a security deposit for state safe passage and then get it back?
Examples
-
Well, there goes our security deposit.
-
I'm the one who put the security deposit down on this place.
-
What, you need two months' rent plus security deposit?
-
Yeah, thank you, but you know the security deposit...
-
I think I gave him his whole security deposit back.
-
It's gonna take me a while to save a security deposit.
-
You can keep my security deposit.
-
From a tenant's perspective, it may make a lot of sense to have the security deposit cover all or a portion of the last month's rent.
Academic text (1991) -
Samantha finds the perfect apartment, but she is unable to afford the pricey security deposit.
Blog text (9) -
When renting a new apartment, you usually need to pay a security deposit to protect the landlord against damages.
Synonyms
Money paid in advance to hold or secure something
An item given to someone to hold until you pay back a debt
How Big
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
Both constituents directly contribute to the compound meaning: 'security' (a guarantee) describes the purpose of the 'deposit' (a sum paid). This noun+noun compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common and yields an immediately predictable meaning for learners who know both words.
Etymology
Security deposit comes from a simple idea: you deposit money, meaning 'to put down', and that money serves as security, a safety hold against damage or unpaid bills. That's why it is money you pay in advance and can get back if everything is OK.