ringfence
ringfence Lexical Profile
ringfence Game Scores & Validity
• verb
British To guarantee that funds allocated for a particular purpose will not be spent on anything else, or to legally separate a portion of a company's assets for financial protection.
"The government promised to ringfence the healthcare budget so that the funds could not be diverted to other departments."
To enclose or surround an area of land completely with a continuous fence.
"The landowners decided to ringfence the newly planted woodland to keep out wild deer."
• noun
British A protective financial or legal barrier that separates and safeguards a specific portion of a company's or government's funds or assets from external risk or general use.
"Regulators required the bank to place a strict ringfence around its retail deposits to protect everyday customers."
A fence that completely encircles a piece of land, an estate, or a pasture without interruption.
"The rancher inspected the timber ringfence that enclosed the entire valley pasture."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Originally formed as a compound in the 18th century referring to a literal continuous boundary fence enclosing an estate or pasture, before developing its figurative financial sense in late 20th-century British English.