Meaning & use
the purse
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrasesport
The total amount of money offered as a prize in a competition or as payment for a fight.
Grammar: Used with 'the' and often followed by 'for' or 'of': the purse for the winner.
Patterns
- the purse for something
- the purse of a competition
The purse for this year's marathon is over one million dollars.
Both boxers will split the purse equally after the fight.
The golf tournament has the largest purse on the tour.
phrasefixed phrasefigurative
The financial resources or funds controlled by a person, organization, or government.
Grammar: Often used in phrases like 'hold the purse strings' or 'the public purse'.
Patterns
- the public purse
- hold the purse strings
The mayor said the project would be paid for from the public purse.
It is the treasurer who holds the purse strings in our club.
They argued about who should control the purse.
Common combinations
- the purse for the winner
- The purse for the winner was announced before the race.
- split the purse
- The two fighters agreed to split the purse 60-40.
- the public purse
- The new stadium was built with money from the public purse.
- hold the purse strings
- In this family, my grandmother holds the purse strings.
Synonyms and how they differ
- prize money
- Prize money is the specific amount given to the winner, while the purse is the total fund available for all prizes.
- purse
- As a standalone noun, 'purse' usually means a handbag in American English; with 'the' it refers to the prize fund.
Commonly confused: the purse or purse?
the purse vs purse
Without 'the', 'purse' often means a small bag for carrying money or a handbag, especially in American English.
Practice
The boxer earned a record $30 million from ______ for the title fight.
Choose one answer.
'The purse' is the total prize money in a fight or competition. 'Wallet' and 'handbag' are physical objects, not prize funds.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “the purse”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.