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

This has been led by lower household savings, which fell by 6.4 percentage points in a short span of seven years. — Jayati Ghosh, Quartz India, "Reviving India’s household savings and investments should be the budget’s top concern," 5 July 2019 The school board will receive budget analysis assistance from Clark focused on identifying potential savings, better analyzing programs, and promoting effectiveness and efficiency. — Jess Nocera, baltimoresun.com, "Howard Board of Education unanimously approves administering internal audit of school system," 2 July 2019 Some older workers may also have stayed on the job because of inadequate retirement savings, especially after the financial crisis depressed stock and home values. — Sarah Chaney, WSJ, "Gray Wave of Workers Gives Slow-Growing World a Boost," 30 June 2019 That would result in significant savings, based on the millions in taxpayer dollars that the government has spent in Operation Streamline. — Ana Campoy, Quartz, "What if crossing the border illegally wasn’t a crime?," 28 June 2019 Deciding when to draw benefits depends on a myriad of personal factors such as age, health, other savings, marital status and plans for retirement. — CBS News, "Almost all Americans take Social Security at the wrong time, study says," 28 June 2019 Deciding when to draw benefits depends on a myriad of personal factors such as age, health, other savings, marital status and plans for retirement. — Sarah Skidmore Sell, Cincinnati.com, "Study: Retirees lose by taking Social Security at wrong time," 28 June 2019 Motivated by the potential savings, Garrett bit the bullet and invested in his own homebrew setup. — Emma Simmons, al.com, "Local homebrew clubs bring community to beer lovers," 18 June 2019 There should therefore be little correlation between a country’s savings and domestic-investment rates, since places with too little investment should offer investors higher returns, sucking in capital from abroad. — The Economist, "Martin Feldstein was a pillar of American economics," 15 June 2019

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

8 Jul 2019

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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