earnest money

noun

Money paid as a deposit to show intent to buy or to reserve an item to be purchased; especially, money accompanying an offer to buy real estate.

Similar
arles
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Meanings

nounearnest money (countable and uncountable, plural earnest moneys)

plural earnest moneys · alternative earnest-money

  1. UScountableuncountableMoney paid as a deposit to show intent to buy or to reserve an item to be purchased; especially, money accompanying an offer to buy real estate.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounmoney given by a buyer to a seller to bind a contract

Similar
arles
Broader
earnest
Also see
arlesdepositpress money

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian капаро
  • капаро (kaparo)money paid
Chinese Mandarin 保證金 /保证金, 定金
  • 保證金 /保证金 (bǎozhèngjīn)money paid
  • 定金 (dìngjīn)money paid
Finnish käsiraha
  • käsirahamoney paid
French arrhes
  • arrhesmoney paid
German Anzahlung
  • Anzahlungmoney paid
Hungarian foglaló
  • foglalómoney paid
Latin arrabō
  • arrabōmoney paid
Portuguese sinal
  • sinalmoney paid
Spanish señal, seña
  • señalmoney paid
  • señamoney paid
Swedish insats
  • insatsmoney paid
Cite this entry
APA

earnest money. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earnest%20money

MLA

“earnest money.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earnest%20money. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “earnest money,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earnest%20money.

Source: earnest money on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.