coffers

USAGE SUMMARY

"coffers" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to a large container, especially one used to store money. Example: The king kept his wealth in golden coffers shaped like dragons.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

One prominent figure on trial is businessman Oswald Lutepo, a senior official in Banda's party, who is accused of theft and money laundering and is alleged to have pocketed more than $6m from government coffers through ghost companies that did not provide any services to the state.

The Guardian

If a country is found to have been illegally allowing state aid to favour the businesses, the company will be forced to return the improper gains to the national coffers.

The Guardian

Only recently, Facebook was accused of taking the Treasury for a ride when the figures showed the British arm paid its 90 UK-based staff an average of £275,000 each in 2011 while contributing just £195,890 to the Treasury's coffers, according to the firm's latest accounts filed at Companies House.

The Guardian

It is also proposing that the government can add $2bn to its coffers by closing loopholes on multinational tax avoidance, such as changing guidelines on what can be classified as company assets, and allowing the Tax Office to have greater oversight over big international firms.

The Guardian

With government coffers almost at nil and Athens facing a monumental €770m (£560m) loan instalment to the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday, it is the last act in a crisis with potentially cataclysmic effect.

The Guardian

Then there is the taxman, ever eager to fill the bottomless coffers of a near-bankrupt state.

The Guardian

In the circular economy of American politics, that money naturally first travels through the coffers of lobbyists and legislators.

The Guardian - Opinion

This auction has yet to take place, and the receipts will have to be in the Treasury coffers by the end of March.

The Guardian - Opinion

Shut out of the bond markets and with bailout aid locked, cash-strapped Athens has been scraping state coffers to meet debt obligations and to pay wages and pensions.

The Guardian

The fear is, here and everywhere, that this autumn's hardships are just the beginning: there will come a point when no amount of ingenuity, flexibility and cunning can stand in the way of empty coffers.

The Guardian

It has been almost nine months since George Osborne started talking regularly about the "northern powerhouse", his vision for a prosperous new north of England, which will contribute to the nation's coffers rather than draining them.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "coffers", consider the connotation of safekeeping and potential accumulation, which might be more impactful than simply using "funds" or "resources".

Common error

Avoid using "coffers" when referring to small or insignificant amounts of money; it's best suited for substantial reserves or institutional holdings.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "coffers" is as a plural noun, referring to multiple containers or repositories of valuable items, particularly money or wealth. Ludwig examples show it frequently used in contexts concerning government or organizational finances.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

73%

Formal & Business

19%

Science

8%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "coffers" is a plural noun primarily used to describe repositories of wealth, particularly in governmental or organizational contexts. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and appears most frequently in news and media sources. The term carries a formal connotation, referring to the safekeeping and management of significant financial resources. When writing, be mindful of its implied scale; "coffers" best suits substantial reserves, not insignificant sums. Related terms include "treasuries" and "funds", each with slight nuances in meaning. Using "coffers" effectively conveys a sense of secure financial holdings and their impact on broader operations or policies.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

treasuries

Indicates a government's financial reserves, often on a national level.

funds

Refers to a sum of money set aside for a specific purpose.

reserves

Implies a store of assets, often financial, kept for future use.

financial resources

A broader term encompassing all available monetary assets.

state funds

Specifically refers to money belonging to a government or state entity.

government funds

Money that belongs to a governmental organization.

national exchequer

The central treasury of a nation, often used in a formal context.

public funds

Assets belonging to the government.

investment portfolios

A collection of assets invested to gain revenue.

savings

A general term for accumulated money.

FAQs

How to use "coffers" in a sentence?

Use "coffers" to refer to a treasury or a place where valuable resources, especially money, are kept. For example, "The government aimed to replenish the national coffers".

What can I say instead of "coffers"?

You can use alternatives like "treasuries", "funds", or "financial resources" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "coffers" or "funds"?

Both "coffers" and "funds" are correct, but "coffers" specifically implies a secured storage or treasury, whereas "funds" is a more general term for available money.

What's the difference between "coffers" and "exchequers"?

"Coffers" generally refers to a container or place holding valuables, while "exchequer" typically denotes a national treasury or the department managing it.