bankroll

English

Etymology

Compound of bank +‎ roll.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈbæŋk.ɹoʊl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

bankroll (plural bankrolls)

1. A roll of banknotes or other paper currency, carried in lieu of a wallet.

   Phil kept his bankroll in his front pocket, as it made too much of a lump to sit on.

2. (figurative) The monetary assets of a person or organization.

   Microsoft is a corporation with an extremely large bankroll.

Derived terms

• California bankroll
• Michigan bankroll
• Texas bankroll

Translations

roll of banknotes

• Dutch: een rol bankbiljetten
• French: un rouleau de billets de banque
• German: Bündel Geldscheine n, Geldscheinbündel n
• Spanish: fajo (es), billetaje

monetary assets of a person or organization

• Dutch: fonds (nl), budget (nl)
• French: fonds (fr), capital (fr), budget (fr)
• German: Geldreserven f pl, Spielgeld (de) n (coll.)

Verb

bankroll (third-person singular simple present bankrolls, present participle bankrolling, simple past and past participle bankrolled)

1. (transitive) To fund a project; to underwrite something.

   Synonyms: finance, support, underwrite

   Professor Stebbins didn't need to apply for government grants because his lab was bankrolled by a large pharmaceutical corporation.

   • 2025 October 15, “News: Pathfinder to run final trains”, in RAIL, number 1046, page 13:

     Pathfinder is keen to stress it is not insolvent, but owner Barry Cordell, who is in his late 80s, has decided he can no longer bankroll the company.

Derived terms

• bankroller

Translations

to fund a project

• Dutch: financieren (nl)
• Finnish: rahoittaa (fi)
• French: financer (fr)
• German: finanzieren (de), die Kosten übernehmen, für die Kosten aufkommen
• Swedish: finansiera (sv)