Meaning & use
insufficient funds
Last updated
UK/ˌɪnsəˌfɪʃənt ˈfʌndz/
US/ˌɪnsəˌfɪʃənt ˈfʌndz/
Meaning
noununcountablefinance
A shortage of money in a bank account, so that a payment cannot be made.
Grammar: Plural form used as an uncountable phrase: Insufficient funds stopped the payment.
Patterns
- payment fails due to insufficient funds
The card was declined because of insufficient funds.
The bank returned the check marked insufficient funds.
I got a notice about insufficient funds in my account.
Common combinations
- due to insufficient funds
- The payment failed due to insufficient funds.
- insufficient funds fee
- The bank charged an insufficient funds fee.
- returned for insufficient funds
- The check was returned for insufficient funds.
- notice of insufficient funds
- I received a notice of insufficient funds.
- transaction declined for insufficient funds
- The transaction was declined for insufficient funds.
Synonyms and how they differ
- overdrawn
- Overdrawn describes an account that has gone below zero, while insufficient funds is the reason a payment is refused.
- lack of money
- Lack of money is a general phrase and does not suggest a banking message.
- bounced
- Bounced describes what happens to a check or payment, not the cause.
Word family
- sufficient adjective
- Enough.
- insufficiency noun
- The state of not having enough.
- insufficiently adverb
- Not enough.
Commonly confused: insufficient funds or insufficient?
insufficient funds vs insufficient
Insufficient is the adjective alone; funds names money available.
Practice
A debit card payment is refused with the message insufficient funds. Why?
Choose one answer.
The message means there is not enough money in the account. The other options are unrelated.
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