IRA

1 of 2

noun

ˌī-(ˌ)är-ˈā  ˈī-rə 

plural IRAs

: a retirement savings account in which income taxes on certain deposits and on all gains are deferred until withdrawals are made

IRA

2 of 2

abbreviation

Irish Republican Army

Examples of IRA in a Sentence

Abbreviation

a representative of the IRA

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Here are the latest projections prepared after the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was passed and before much of it was rolled back in the One Big Beautiful Bill. —Robert G. Eccles, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

The Senate restructured them into something more like a conventional IRA. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025

For example, the donation must be from a traditional IRA, the account holder must be at least 70-½ and the annual donation limit is $108,000 in 2025. —Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025

Roth conversions transfer pretax or nondeductible IRA funds to a Roth IRA, which kickstarts future tax-free growth. —Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

initialism from individual retirement account or individual retirement arrangement

First Known Use

Noun

1974, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for IRA

• lyra
• spirogyra

Legal Definition

IRA

noun

ˌī-ˌär-ˈā, ˈī-rə 

: an account in which a person may deposit up to a stipulated amount each year and that is not taxable until retirement or early withdrawal

Note: Deposits to an IRA may not be completely or partially deductible from adjusted gross income if one's income exceeds a set level.

Etymology

Noun

individual retirement account