fund

fund — noun

1. money that people or organisations keep for a specific goal, such as paying for

1.nounA2
Definition

money that people or organisations keep for a specific goal, such as paying for a child's education or rebuilding after a disaster.

Example

The school created a fund to help students pay for sports equipment and uniforms.

fund for [purpose] with infinitive

Andrei puts money into a travel fund each month to visit his family abroad.

Common collocations
  • emergency fund
  • pension fund
  • trust fund
  • scholarship fund
  • college fund
  • set up a fund
  • create a fund
  • contribute to a fund
Synonyms
  • reserve

    emphasises money kept for emergencies rather than ongoing purposes

  • pool

    suggests money contributed by multiple people and shared

  • endowment

    more formal; money given to an institution that uses the interest, not the principal

Grammar Patterns

fund for [purpose]

Usage Note

Often used in compound nouns such as pension fund, trust fund, or scholarship fund — the second noun names the purpose.

Common Mistakes

The company set up a fundation for employee training.
The company set up a fund for employee training.
'fundation' is not a word; 'foundation' is a type of organisation, while 'fund' is the money itself.

2. the money that someone can use for the things they need to buy or pay for, such

2.nounB1
Definition

the money that someone can use for the things they need to buy or pay for, such as salaries, materials, or services.

Example

The hospital does not have enough funds to hire more nurses this year.

often plural: enough funds / lack of funds

Public funds were used to repair the old bridge in the centre of town.

Common collocations
  • lack of funds
  • short of funds
  • raise funds
  • public funds
  • government funds
  • available funds
  • sufficient funds
  • insufficient funds
Synonyms
  • resources

    broader — can include non-monetary assets such as staff and equipment

  • capital

    focuses on money used for investment or business growth, not daily spending

  • money

    more general and less formal; 'funds' sounds slightly more professional in business contexts

Grammar Patterns

funds for [purpose]

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the plural (funds) when used in this sense. Singular fund in sense 1 refers to a specific designated pool; plural funds means money in general.

Common Mistakes

The company doesn't have enough fund to expand.
The company doesn't have enough funds to expand.
In this meaning (available spending money), use the plural form 'funds'.

3. a company or organisation that collects money from many investors and then buys

3.nounB1
Definition

a company or organisation that collects money from many investors and then buys stocks, bonds, or other assets with the aim of earning a profit.

Example

Hugo invested his savings in an international fund that buys shares in technology companies.

invest in a fund / mutual fund / index fund

The pension fund owns shares in hundreds of companies around the world.

Common collocations
  • mutual fund
  • hedge fund
  • index fund
  • pension fund
  • investment fund
  • fund manager
  • fund performance
  • invest in a fund
Synonyms
  • investment trust

    a specific type of fund whose shares are traded on a stock exchange

  • portfolio

    refers to the collection of investments themselves, not the organisation

  • mutual fund

    the most common type of fund for individual investors in the US

Grammar Patterns

fund + that [clause]

Usage Note

Commonly appears in compounds such as mutual fund, hedge fund, index fund, and pension fund. Unlike sense 1, sense 4 refers to the organisation itself, not the sum of money it holds.

Common Mistakes

I put my money in a fund that the bank manages it.
I put my money in a fund that the bank manages.
Do not repeat the object pronoun after 'that'.

4. a large supply of a non-monetary resource, such as knowledge, experience, or a p

4.nounB2
Definition

a large supply of a non-monetary resource, such as knowledge, experience, or a personal quality like patience or humour.

Example

Grandma has a fund of funny stories from her years as a primary-school teacher.

fund of + stories / knowledge / experience (figurative)

The old fisherman had a fund of knowledge about the tides and local sea life.

Common collocations
  • fund of stories
  • fund of knowledge
  • fund of experience
  • fund of patience
  • fund of goodwill
  • fund of humour
Synonyms
  • wealth

    can also be figurative (a wealth of information), but sounds more modern and less formal

  • store

    suggests something you draw upon repeatedly, like a store of energy

  • pool

    suggests a shared resource; a pool of talent, a pool of applicants

Grammar Patterns

fund of [something]

Usage Note

This sense is noticeably more formal and slightly dated than senses 1 and 2 (the financial senses). Common in set phrases: a fund of stories, a fund of knowledge, a fund of goodwill.

fund — verb

fund — abbreviation

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Fund, capital, investment, and reserve all relate to money, but they serve different functions. A fund is money set aside for a specific purpose — a scholarship fund, for example. Capital refers to money or assets used to generate wealth, typically in a business context (start-up capital, capital investment). An investment is money put into something with the expectation of earning a profit, such as buying shares or property. A reserve is money kept back for emergencies or unexpected needs, often held by a company or government. In practice: a school might create a fund to buy new books, while a business uses capital to open new stores. An investor makes an investment hoping the value will grow, and a company keeps a reserve in case sales drop suddenly.

fund ↗capital ↗investment ↗reserve ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • fund manager
  • fund raiser
  • fund performance
  • fund allocation
  • fund transfer

Adverbs

  • fully funded
  • privately funded
  • publicly funded
  • well funded
  • partially funded
  • adequately funded

Phrases

  • source of funds
  • allocation of funds
  • pool of funds
  • short of funds
  • flow of funds

Prepositions

  • fund for
  • fund of
  • in funds

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The English word 'fund' comes from Latin 'fundus', meaning 'bottom' or 'foundation'. In Latin, 'fundus' also referred to a piece of land as the basis of a farm. This idea of something that serves as a base or foundation evolved into the financial meaning: money set aside as the 'bottom' or foundation of an enterprise. The word entered English through French 'fonds' (capital, wealth) in the 17th century, and by the 1700s it was being used for pools of money designated for specific purposes.