saving

noun

sav·ing | \ˈsā-viŋ

Definition of saving

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : preservation from danger or destruction : deliverance

2 : the act or an instance of economizing

3a savings plural : money put by

b : the excess of income over consumption expenditures —often used in plural

c : a usually specified lower cost —often used in plural a savings of 50 percent

saving

preposition

Definition of saving (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : except, save

2 : without disrespect to

saving

conjunction

Definition of saving (Entry 3 of 3)

: except, save

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about saving

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Examples of saving in a Sentence

Noun

The new system will provide a saving in labor. How much money do you have in savings? She has her savings in stocks. They were able to retire on their savings.

Preposition

saving three members, the club is now fully committed to the fund-raising project

Conjunction

I would be ready, saving the fact that I can't find my missing shoe.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Travel booked through Rising Star will automatically sync up for teams using Artist Growth, decreasing repetitive manual data entry and saving time. — Taylor Mims, Billboard, "Artist Growth Integrates With Rising Star Travel to Streamline Tour Scheduling," 12 July 2018 In 2016, the judge listed three credit cards, each with balances of between $15,001 and $50,000, among his liabilities, as well as a loan from a thrift savings plan in the same range. — Peter Nicholas, WSJ, "Disclosures Show Modest Finances for Supreme Court Nominee," 11 July 2018 During daylight saving time, which runs from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November, irrigation is limited to no more than two days per week. — Mark Skoneki, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Why do Central Floridians water their lawns during rain storms? Let nature keep the grass green," 6 July 2018 For the 28 European countries who recognize daylight saving time, clocks go forward one hour in the summer, and back again in the winter. — Shoshana Wodinsky, The Verge, "The EU is polling citizens if daylight saving is really necessary," 5 July 2018 If your company doesn’t offer a retirement savings plan, establish your own brokerage account with a company like Schwab or Vanguard, Gunderson suggests. — Jean Chatzky /, NBC News, "7 Ways to Make the Most of Your First Salary," 5 July 2018 The measure would put the question of whether to move clocks forward an hour in March and back in November before lawmakers, who could then introduce a bill to stay on saving time permanently. — Melody Gutierrez, SFChronicle.com, "Gas taxes, cage-free chickens and a chopped-up California top fall ballot," 3 July 2018 By the early 2000s, roughly eight-of-10 employees retirement savings plans were comprised of GE stock — by employee election, Welch said. — Grace Schneider, The Courier-Journal, "General Electric's downward spiral continues to slam retirees," 29 June 2018 This forecast, valid for noon local standard time (1 p.m. daylight saving time) the following day is issued each day shortly after noon. — Tom Skilling, chicagotribune.com, "Ask Tom: What's a good source for the UV index?," 28 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'saving.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near saving

save the life of (someone)

Statistics for saving

Last Updated

14 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for saving

The first known use of saving was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for saving

saving

noun

Financial Definition of saving

What It Is

In economics, savings is the amount that is left after spending. In banking, savings refers to savings accounts, which are short-term, interest-bearing deposits with a bank or other financial institution.

How It Works

There are only two things to do with money: Save it or spend it. For example, let's say John Doe's paycheck is $1,600 every two weeks, or $3,200 a month. His expenses are the following:

Rent: $1,300
Car payment: $450
Student loan payment: $450
Credit card payment: $300
Groceries: $250
Utilities: $75
Cell phone: $75
Gas: $100
Total expenses: $3,000

Because John spends $3,000 of his $3,200 income per month, he saves $200.

If John's expenses are higher than his income, he is not saving; he is living paycheck-to-paycheck. If he gets fired, has an emergency or his company closes in two weeks, he would have little backup.

In banking terms, savings accounts are time deposits, meaning that a bank can require the account holder to give notice before withdrawing the funds or impose a penalty for withdrawal before a specified date. The interest rates on savings accounts vary by institution but are generally lower than interest rates on longer-term deposits, such as CDs or even money market accounts. Interest is usually compounded monthly.

Why It Matters

It is dangerous not to save money. Not only is it financially risky, it creates unnecessary stress. To enable savings, John must reduce his expenses so that they are less than his income, and he should make regular, disciplined deposits into a savings and/or investment vehicle.

Ironically, when a country saves so much money that it hardly spends anything, its economy can suffer. This is called the paradox of thrift, which is an economic theory developed by John Maynard Keynes that states that the more people save, the less they spend and thus the less they stimulate the economy.

It is important to note that the interest rate paid on a savings account may be below the inflation rate, meaning that the account actually might lose purchasing power over time despite the interest earned.

Source: Investing Answers

saving

noun