Standard Lemma guide

Superfund

noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S UW2 P ER0 F AH1 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A large amount of money designated for environmental cleanup by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

Examples

  • a Superfund site

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An investment vehicle for superannuation assets.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, UK

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An investment fund that invests in other investment funds; a fund of funds.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To fund (a college payment plan) with a large payment, more than the usual annual payment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To fund (environmental cleanup) by means of a Superfund.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

the federal government's program to locate and investigate and clean up the worst uncontrolled and abandoned toxic waste sites nationwide; administered by the Environmental Protection Agency

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • some have intimated that the Superfund's money may have turned into a political slush fund

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Superfund program

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: program, programme

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Italic *super Latin super Latin super-lbor. English super- English fund English Superfund From super- + fund.

A blend of superannuation (“retirement”) + fund.