401(k)
/fɔɹ.oʊ̯.wʌn.keɪ̯/
401(k) noun: a tax-qualified, defined-contribution pension account.
Noun
401(k) (plural 401(k)s)
- A tax-qualified, defined-contribution pension account.
- Entrepreneurs have responded enthusiastically: Solo 401(k) assets now stand at $2.5 billion, and could hit $90 billion by 2012.
It's easy to see why the plans are becoming so popular. As with ordinary 401(k)s, as well as SEP-IRAs designed for the self-employed, individual 401(k)s allow you to...2005 March 1, Penelope Wang, “A 401(k) of Your Own”, in CNN Money, archived from the original on 01 Apr 2025 - John Fuchs was checking his 401(k) account online one afternoon when he saw something that seemed amiss.2006 April 23, Walter Hamilton, Kathy M. Kristof, Josh Friedman, “From the Archives: Fees Eat Away at Employees’ 401(k) Nest Eggs”, in Los Angeles Times
- Entrepreneurs have responded enthusiastically: Solo 401(k) assets now stand at $2.5 billion, and could hit $90 billion by 2012.
Forms of 401(k)
| plural | 401(k)s |
|---|---|
| alternative form (nonstandard) | 401k |
Origin of 401(k)
From section 401(k) of the US Internal Revenue Code, which provides for such accounts.
Questions about 401(k)
- What does 401(k) mean?
- 401(k) means a tax-qualified, defined-contribution pension account.
- What part of speech is 401(k)?
- 401(k) is a noun.
- How do you pronounce 401(k)?
- 401(k) is pronounced /fɔɹ.oʊ̯.wʌn.keɪ̯/ (US).
- What is the plural of 401(k)?
- The plural of 401(k) is 401(k)s.
Words near 401(k) in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: 401(k) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Aadenboy-401(k).wav.
Cite this entry: “401(k).” Word.ws, https://word.ws/401(k). Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.