World Bank

American

noun

an international bank established in 1944 to help member nations reconstruct and develop, especially by guaranteeing loans: a specialized agency of the United Nations.

World Bank British

noun

Officially called: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. an international cooperative organization established in 1945 under the Bretton Woods Agreement to assist economic development, esp of backward nations, by the advance of loans guaranteed by member governments

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Job creation has been a key message for his campaign, with youth unemployment standing at 20.6% - among the highest in South Asia, according to the World Bank.

From BBC

But outfits like the Gates Foundation and World Bank still don’t have the same level of resources, let alone command the same kind of global respect.

From Salon

But his history of public controversy stretches back to at least 1991, when a memo he wrote while serving as the World Bank’s chief economist appeared to justify sending toxic waste to poorer countries.

From Salon

The World Bank estimates China’s household saving rate exceeded 30% of disposable income in 2025 — far higher than rates in most developed economies.

From MarketWatch

Nepal's largest trading partner is India, accounting for 63 percent of imports, or $8.6 billion, followed by China at 13 percent, or $1.8 billion, according to World Bank figures.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023