central bank

noun

: a national bank that operates to establish monetary and fiscal policy and to control the money supply and interest rate
central banker noun

Examples of central bank in a Sentence

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.
But the head of Germany’s central bank, who is also a member of the European Central Bank Governing Council, said Melenchon’s debt cancelation idea would be forbidden under the currency bloc’s rules and could lead to hyperinflation. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026 Chandler said that the New Zealand dollar sold off following a Wednesday rate hike from that island nation's central bank, and that the Japanese yen could follow a similar pattern. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026 The surprise increase in hiring last month could give the central bank’s policymakers leeway to raise the Fed’s benchmark short-term interest rate to fight inflation at their next policy meeting in less than two weeks. — Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 That is leading to fears that central banks may need to keep interest rates high – and in some cases consider raising them even higher – to tamp down the price pressures in their economies. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for central bank

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of central bank was in 1841

Rhymes for central bank

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Browse Nearby Words

Central Asian
central bank
Central Basin
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Cite this Entry

“Central bank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/central%20bank. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Legal Definition

central bank

see also:
bank

More from Merriam-Webster on central bank

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about central bank

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