plural treasuries
1
a
: a place in which stores of wealth are kept
b
: the place of deposit and disbursement of collected funds
especially : one where public revenues are deposited, kept, and disbursed
c
: funds kept in such a depository
2
Treasury
a
: a governmental department in charge of finances and especially the collection, management, and expenditure of public revenues
b
: the building in which the business of such a governmental department is transacted
3
Treasury plural also Treasurys : a government security (such as a note or bill) issued by the Treasury
4
: a repository for treasures
a treasury of poems
5
obsolete : treasure

Examples of treasury in a Sentence

A government official has been accused of stealing from the nation's treasury. The fees are deposited into the state's treasury. A part of the nation's treasury is spent on space exploration. The author has collected a treasury of facts and lore about horses.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That decision depends on how much these foreign buyers want our goods, services, investments and U.S. treasuries. Zain Jaffer, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025 For reference, that’s more than the $97 billion that Germany has in US treasuries, meaning Tether holds more US Treasury debt than a major G7 ally. Roger Huang, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025 The money collected is put in the treasury and rolled into the overall budget. Jeff Goertzen, Orange County Register, 9 Mar. 2025 The treasury is entitled to collect Cawthorn’s wages or tax refunds and report the debt to the IRS as possible taxable income. Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for treasury

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tresorie, from Anglo-French, from tresor treasure

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of treasury was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Treasury.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treasury. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

treasury

noun
plural treasuries
1
a
: a place in which stores of wealth are kept
b
: the place where collected funds are stored and paid out
2
capitalized : a government department in charge of finances

Legal Definition

plural treasuries
1
a
: a place in which stores of wealth are kept
b
: the place of deposit and disbursement of collected funds
especially : one where public revenues are deposited, kept, and disbursed
c
: funds kept in such a depository
2
capitalized
a
: a governmental department in charge of finances and especially the collection, management, and expenditure of public revenues
b
: the building in which the business of such a governmental department is transacted
3
capitalized : a government security (as a note or bill) issued by the Treasury
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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