treasure

1 of 2

noun

trea·​sure ˈtre-zhər How to pronounce treasure (audio)
ˈtrā-
1
a(1)
: wealth (such as money, jewels, or precious metals) stored up or hoarded
buried treasure
(2)
: wealth of any kind or in any form : riches
b
: a store of money in reserve
2
: something of great worth or value
also : a person esteemed as rare or precious
3
: a collection of precious things

treasure

2 of 2

verb

treasured; treasuring ˈtre-zh(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce treasure (audio)
ˈtrā-

transitive verb

1
: to hold or keep as precious : cherish, prize
she treasured those memories
2
: to collect and store up (something of value) for future use : hoard
Choose the Right Synonym for treasure

appreciate, value, prize, treasure, cherish mean to hold in high estimation.

appreciate often connotes sufficient understanding to enjoy or admire a thing's excellence.

appreciates fine wine

value implies rating a thing highly for its intrinsic worth.

values our friendship

prize implies taking a deep pride in something one possesses.

Americans prize their freedom

treasure emphasizes jealously safeguarding something considered precious.

a treasured memento

cherish implies a special love and care for something.

cherishes her children above all

Examples of treasure in a Sentence

Noun a legend about the pirates' buried treasure Central Park is one of New York City's many treasures. Grandmother's nurse has been a real treasure. Verb He treasures that autographed baseball. My grandmother's ring is my most treasured possession.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Four Seasons Gresham Palace Completed in 1906, the Gresham Palace is an Art Nouveau treasure. Alia Akkam, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Mar. 2024 The rose is among the most popular TikTok gifts, but other items on the menu include virtual ice cream cones, pretzels, and treasure boxes. Jasmine Li, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 His home country of Ireland is a treasure and being here is a privilege. Lori Nickel, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024 For all that’s frustratingly missing from this adventure, there are a good handful of things to treasure. Courtney Howard, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 See what was found inside During the dive, a treasure hunter and archaeologist from the University of Split located an ancient Roman bowl and the neck of a Roman jug. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Kids can stash small treasures in the pockets and run around freely thanks to the stretchy cotton canvas and spandex blend. Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 5 Mar. 2024 Renowned as the cradle of wasabi cultivation, Shizuoka offers no shortage of opportunities to savor Japan’s piquant treasure. Jonny Bierman, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024 See it → Metal detectorist unearths 'one-of-a-kind' gold treasure from 1,400 years ago. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
But Lewis still treasured those visits with his father. Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 Kerr treasured Milojević's smile and cherished seeing all the images that captured him so perfectly. Janie McCauley, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Protecting individual victims and victim communities from hate crimes, while protecting free speech, are both core values that should be treasured and assiduously protected. Douglas S. Lavine, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2024 The practice can also reduce access to hard-to-find, yet treasured, media, like Best Funeral Ever. Ars Technica reached out to Sony for comment but didn't hear back in time for publication. Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 5 Dec. 2023 Corey Shaughnessy Corey says her husband Ted treasured making people feel special through his passion for gems. Annabelle Allen, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2024 As in ancient Greece, Romans of all ages treasured their canine counterparts. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 11 Jan. 2024 The expensive materials and highly detailed artisanship suggest the object was treasured, perhaps serving a meaningful personal or religious purpose, writes the Telegraph’s Craig Simpson. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024 Your family recipes are something to be treasured, so why not give your folks a spot to jot them all down so they can be kept within the family? Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 7 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'treasure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tresor, from Anglo-French, from Latin thesaurus — more at thesaurus

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of treasure was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near treasure

Cite this Entry

“Treasure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treasure. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

treasure

1 of 2 noun
trea·​sure ˈtrezh-ər How to pronounce treasure (audio) ˈtrāzh- How to pronounce treasure (audio)
1
: wealth (as money, jewels, or precious metals) stored up or held in reserve
2
: someone or something that is valued highly

treasure

2 of 2 verb
treasured; treasuring -(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce treasure (audio)
: to value highly : cherish
Etymology

Noun

Middle English tresor "treasure," from early French tresor (same meaning), from Latin thesaurus "treasure, collection" — related to thesaurus

Legal Definition

treasure

noun
trea·​sure
: personal property that is hidden in something else for an extended period and whose owner cannot be determined

More from Merriam-Webster on treasure

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