depositvswithdraw
Deposit and withdraw are opposites at the same machine. To deposit is to put money in, so the balance goes up. To withdraw is to take money out, so the balance goes down. One feeds value into the account; the other draws it back out. Same axis — money moving in or out — opposite directions.
A hand feeds stack after stack into a Lexicowbank ATM; each time the machine draws the cash in and the balance clicks up a step — 1,000, 1,200, 1,400, 1,600 — the glow warming. Value going in, the number climbing.
/dɪˈpɑːzɪt//dɪˈpɒzɪt/·verbThe same ATM pays stack after stack back out into a waiting palm; each time the balance clicks down a step — 1,600, 1,400, 1,200, 1,000 — the glow cooling. Value coming out, the number falling.
/wɪðˈdrɔː//wɪðˈdrɔː/·verbBoth verbs describe money crossing the same threshold, in opposite directions. Deposit comes from the Latin deponere, 'to put down': value laid into the account. Withdraw is with- ('back') plus draw ('to pull'): value pulled back out. Picture one ATM: feed a stack of notes into the slot and the balance climbs (deposit); take a stack out and it falls (withdraw). Same machine, one slot, opposite flow.
What each means
deposit
To deposit is to put money into an account or machine, raising the balance — and, more broadly, to set or lay something down, the way a river deposits silt. It comes from the Latin deponere, 'to put down'. In finance it is the everyday opposite of withdraw: value moves in rather than out, and savings accumulate. As a noun a deposit is the sum paid in, or the part-payment that secures a purchase before the rest is due.
withdraw
To withdraw is to take money out of an account, lowering the balance — and, more widely, to draw back or remove: troops withdraw, a runner withdraws from a race, a speaker withdraws a remark. It is built from with-, 'back', and draw, 'to pull'. In finance it is the opposite of deposit; take out too much, too often, and you deplete the account. The noun is withdrawal.
At a glance
| deposit | withdraw | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | put money in | take money out |
| Cash flow | into the account / machine | out of the account / machine |
| Balance | goes up | goes down |
| Root | Latin deponere, to put down | with- (back) + draw (pull) |
| Noun | deposit | withdrawal |
| Example | deposit a cheque | withdraw cash |
How to remember the difference
Picture one cash machine running three rounds. Feed stack after stack into the tray and the balance steps up — 1,000, 1,200, 1,400, 1,600 — glow warming: money in, that is deposit. Pay stack after stack out into your palm and it steps down — 1,600, 1,400, 1,200, 1,000 — glow cooling: money out, that is withdraw. Same machine, opposite flow. If value goes in and the balance rises, you deposit; if value comes out and it falls, you withdraw.
Examples
deposit
- Remember to deposit the cheque before the weekend.
- She deposits part of her salary into savings each month.
- A small deposit secured the apartment.
withdraw
- He withdrew two hundred from the ATM.
- You can withdraw funds at any branch.
- Frequent withdrawals slowly drained the account.
As money words they are direct opposites — deposit in, withdraw out — and their nouns are 'deposit' and 'withdrawal'. Note that withdraw has senses beyond money (withdraw troops, withdraw a remark, withdraw from a race), where its opposite is not deposit but 'advance', 'commit', or 'stand by'. For accounts, though, the pair is exact.
FAQ
- What is the difference between deposit and withdraw?
- They are opposites. To deposit is to put money into an account, raising the balance; to withdraw is to take money out, lowering it. Deposit moves value in; withdraw moves it out.
- Are deposit and withdraw antonyms?
- Yes, in the money sense they are exact opposites — cash in versus cash out, balance up versus balance down. The nouns are 'a deposit' and 'a withdrawal'.
- What are the noun forms?
- For deposit, the noun is also 'deposit' (the money paid in, or a down payment). For withdraw, the noun is 'withdrawal' (the act or the amount taken out).
- Does withdraw only mean taking out money?
- No. Withdraw also means to pull back or remove — to withdraw troops, to withdraw from a race, or to withdraw a statement. Only in the banking sense is its opposite 'deposit'.
- Which prepositions go with them?
- You deposit money INTO (or in) an account, and you withdraw money FROM an account. 'Deposit into' and 'withdraw from' are the safe pairings for exams.
- How do you pronounce deposit and withdraw?
- Deposit is /dɪˈpɑːzɪt/ (US) or /dɪˈpɒzɪt/ (UK), stressed on the second syllable. Withdraw is /wɪðˈdrɔː/, stressed on the second syllable (with-DRAW); the noun withdrawal is /wɪðˈdrɔːəl/.