treasury

noun

trea·​sury ˈtre-zh(ə-)rē 

ˈtrā-

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

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

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing treasury

• sub-treasury
• treasury note
• treasury of merits
• treasury stock

Kids Definition

treasury

noun

trea·​sury ˈtrezh-(ə-)rē 

ˈtrāzh-

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

treasury

noun

trea·​sury ˈtre-zhə-rē, ˈtrā- 

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