: a division or portion of a pool or whole
specifically : an issue of bonds derived from a pooling of like obligations (such as securitized mortgage debt) that is differentiated from other issues especially by maturity or rate of return

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Finance and Tranche

In French, tranche means “slice.” Cutting deeper into the word’s etymology, we find the Old French word trenchier, meaning “to cut,” which has its likely origin in a Latin word meaning “to cut in three,” from Latin trini meaning “three each.” Tranche emerged in the English language in the late 19th century to refer to a division or portion of a larger pool or whole, and later developed a finance-specific meaning referring to an offering for sale of typically a set of bonds “cut” from a larger group of bonds, the tranche being differentiated by such factors as maturity or rate of return.

Examples of tranche in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But the contents of at least three documents in the massive tranche of files indicate classified information was included in files collected by the DOJ. — Daniel Ruetenik, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 The African Development Bank approved a $255 million first tranche for Zambia’s part in the corridor in August. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026 The second tranche, of 500,000 metric tons, equals about 124,000 bpd. — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026 Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, however, said last week that the first tranche of a trade deal was in its final stages. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tranche

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, slice, from Old French, from trenchier, trancher to cut — more at trench

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tranche was in 1893

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Cite this Entry

“Tranche.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tranche. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Legal Definition

: a division or portion of a pool or whole: as
a
: an issue of bonds derived from a pooling of like obligations that is differentiated from other issues especially by maturity or rate of return
b
: a bond series issued for sale in a foreign country
Etymology

French, literally, slice, from Old French, from trenchier, trancher to cut

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