seed money

noun

: money used for setting up a new enterprise

Examples of seed money in a Sentence

He provided seed money for the campaign.
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.
Bill Sheldrake, of Policy Analytics, noted the RDA gave the LDE $5 million in seed money to prime the pump for grants. Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026 Qualcomm co-founder Jacobs, an avid jazz and classical music fan, gave the festival a three-year donation of nearly $400,000 in seed money in 2024. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026 Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the city has committed $50,000 in seed money for a feasibility study focused on developing those spaces after hearing directly from young people. Daniel Wilkerson, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026 Of those, more than 1 million are set to receive the Treasury seed money, according to the agency. Addy Bink, The Hill, 5 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for seed money

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of seed money was in 1943

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Seed money.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seed%20money. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster