treasury
noun/ˈtreʒəri/
/ˈtreʒəri/
(plural treasuries)
- the Treasury[singular + singular or plural verb] (in the UK, the US and some other countries) the government department that controls public money
- The Treasury is/are refusing to rule out tax rises.
CultureIn the UK, the Treasury, also known as HM Treasury, Her/His Majesty's Treasury or HMT, is in Westminster in central London. Three of its senior officials are also members of the Cabinet: the First Lord of the Treasury (which is one of the titles of the Prime Minister), the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who is really the head of the Treasury, and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. One of the main responsibilities of the Treasury is deciding how much money should be spent on various aspects of national life, such as education, healthcare, defence, etc., and providing such money to the appropriate authorities.Topics Moneyc2Want to learn more?
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- [countable] a place in a castle, etc. where valuable things are stored
- Semi-precious stones were found in the treasury of the old monastery.
- This must be one of the richest cathedral treasuries in Europe.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French tresorie, based on Greek thēsauros ‘storehouse, treasure’.
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