Earmark funds

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Earmark funds" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in financial or budgeting contexts to indicate that specific funds are set aside for a particular purpose or project. Example: "The government decided to earmark funds for education reform to improve the quality of schools."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

Many current tax proposals earmark funds for schools.

The Economist

A congressman has the power to "earmark" funds for a specific project.

The Economist

Conference organizers often earmark funds to help graduate students with expenses.

Cornell University

Donors also prefer to earmark funds for specific purposes, like combating H.I.V. and AIDS, health care for women or environmental problems.

The New York Times

Donors should earmark funds specifically for innovation, and implementing agencies should similarly establish a deliberate focus on innovation through special "innovation units" or incentives for generating better ideas.

Harvard Business Review

Donors, while generous, can earmark funds to certain purposes or specific regions of the world, limiting the discretionary ability of the Director-General to carry out the organization's agenda or to deal with an emerging crisis.

Columbia University

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

Again, there are good reasons why one might want to eliminate or curtail the earmark funding system.

The Economist

President Trump's new deadline for Congress to earmark funding for his proposed border wall is Feb. 15.

The Washington Post

Action Item 6: Earmark funding for multidisciplinary research.

Science Magazine

Obama refused to specifically push any special initiatives or earmark funding for unemployed blacks.

Huffington Post

The earmark funding trickled down to the Baptist Women's Clinic's pilot prenatal care program, known as "CenteringPregnancy," which targeted at-risk, soon-to-be moms.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "earmark funds", be specific about the purpose for which the funds are being set aside to avoid ambiguity. For example, instead of saying "The city will earmark funds", specify "The city will earmark funds for park maintenance".

Common error

Avoid earmarking funds without a clear plan or defined criteria. Vague earmarking can lead to inefficient spending and lack of accountability. For instance, don't just "earmark funds for community development"; specify the projects and goals.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "earmark funds" functions as a verb phrase indicating the act of designating or setting aside monetary resources for a specific purpose. Ludwig's examples illustrate its use in contexts ranging from government budgets to personal finance.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

52%

Academia

22%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Science

10%

Wiki

4%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "earmark funds" is a common and grammatically correct verb phrase used to describe the act of designating money for a specific purpose. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. It is most frequently found in News & Media, Academia, and Formal & Business contexts. Related phrases include "allocate resources" and "designate funds". When using "earmark funds", be specific about the intended purpose to avoid vagueness. Remember to avoid broad earmarking without a clear plan. In conclusion, "earmark funds" is a practical and widely accepted term for financial discussions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Allocate resources

Focuses on the broader action of assigning resources, less specific than dedicating for a precise purpose.

Designate funds

Emphasizes formally assigning funds, similar but more formal than "earmark".

Set aside funds

Highlights the act of reserving funds, less about the intended use.

Appropriate funds

Suggests an official allocation, often in a legislative context.

Dedicate resources

Broader, referring to any type of resource not necessarily money.

Allocate budget

More specific to the budget process.

Assign budget

Similar to allocate budget, but slightly less formal.

Reserve funds

Highlights the act of keeping funds available.

Allot funds

Implies a careful or official distribution of funds.

Devote resources

Focuses on the commitment of resources, not necessarily monetary.

FAQs

How to use "earmark funds" in a sentence?

You can use "earmark funds" to describe setting aside money for a specific purpose. For example, "The government will "allocate funds" to improve public transportation".

What can I say instead of "earmark funds"?

Alternatives include phrases like "designate funds", "set aside funds", or "appropriate funds", depending on the context.

Is it better to "earmark funds" or "allocate funds"?

"Earmark funds" and ""allocate funds"" are similar, but "earmark" implies a more specific and predetermined purpose. "Allocate" is a more general term for distributing resources.

What's the difference between "earmark funds" and "reserve funds"?

"Earmark funds" means designating money for a particular use, whereas "reserve funds" simply means setting money aside, not necessarily for a specific purpose yet.