community chest: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal / Institutional
Quick answer
What does “community chest” mean?
A fund of money or collection of resources that is contributed to and used for the general benefit or welfare of a local community.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A fund of money or collection of resources that is contributed to and used for the general benefit or welfare of a local community.
In specific contexts like the board game Monopoly, it refers to a set of chance cards instructing players to pay or receive money for community-related events. More broadly, it can metaphorically represent any shared pool of resources meant for collective public aid.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. The term is well-known in both varieties primarily due to the global popularity of Monopoly. In institutional naming, 'Community Chest' is a common historical name for local charitable funds in both regions.
Connotations
Conveys a sense of organised, local-level charity and mutual aid. In the US, it might be slightly more associated with the game due to the prominence of 'Community Chest' cards.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday speech outside of specific institutional or gaming contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “community chest” in a Sentence
[donate/contribute] + to + the community chestthe community chest + [provides/supports/funds] + [something][draw/pick] + a Community Chest cardVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “community chest” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The council aims to community-chest the surplus funds for local projects. (Very rare/neologistic)
American English
- They tried to community-chest the donations. (Very rare/neologistic)
adverb
British English
- The money was distributed community-chest style. (Idiomatic, rare)
American English
- They funded it community-chest fast. (Idiomatic, rare)
adjective
British English
- The community-chest initiative was well supported. (Hyphenated attributive use)
American English
- She made a community-chest donation. (Hyphenated attributive use)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) contexts discussing local charitable contributions.
Academic
Used in social sciences, history, or game studies to discuss charitable institutions or the mechanics of Monopoly.
Everyday
Primarily encountered when playing Monopoly. Occasionally heard in news about local charity drives.
Technical
In board game terminology, it is a proper noun referring to a specific deck of cards.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “community chest”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “community chest”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “community chest”
- Using 'community chest' as a verb (e.g., 'We community-chested the money').
- Confusing it with 'Chance' in Monopoly (another card deck).
- Misspelling as 'community chest' (should be capitalised when referring to the game's proper noun).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Capitalise it when it is the official name of an organisation (e.g., 'Metropolitan Community Chest') or the specific feature in Monopoly. Use lowercase for generic references (e.g., 'a community chest for the parish').
Yes, metaphorically. For example, in business: 'We treat the team's shared knowledge as a community chest.' It implies a pooled resource for common benefit.
A community chest typically refers to a local, often collectively contributed, fund for immediate community welfare. A foundation is usually a larger, endowed institution with a broader, sometimes national or international, charitable scope and specific philanthropic goals.
Historically, money for communal purposes was literally collected and stored in a locked chest or strongbox for security, hence the name.
A fund of money or collection of resources that is contributed to and used for the general benefit or welfare of a local community.
Community chest is usually formal / institutional in register.
Community chest: in British English it is pronounced /kəˈmjuːnəti tʃɛst/, and in American English it is pronounced /kəˈmjuːnəti tʃɛst/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's not the community chest. (Implies money/resources are not for public use.)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CHEST (a large box) in the centre of your COMMUNITY where everyone puts something in to help neighbours in need.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE COMMUNITY IS A HOUSEHOLD (sharing a common 'chest' or treasury).
Practice
Quiz
What is the most common contemporary association with the term 'Community Chest'?