American Depositary Receipt

noun

: a negotiable receipt that represents ownership of a foreign stock held in trust (as by the foreign branch of a U.S. bank) for an American citizen and that can be traded in dollars like shares of domestic companies

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!