# NSF

CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/nsf
Updated: 2026-05-09

## Definition

Stands for Not Sufficient Funds. A message from a bank that says there is not enough money in an account to pay for a check or a purchase.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Not Sufficient Funds. A banking status indicating that a checking account does not have enough available balance to cover a presented check or electronic debit.

## Examples

- The bank returned the check because of NSF.
- I had to pay a thirty-dollar fee to the store after my payment was declined for NSF.
- Automated clearing house transactions may be retried up to two times following an initial NSF notification before the merchant must seek an alternative method of payment from the customer.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I have an NSF in my account" but "I have an NSF fee on my account" — NSF describes the status of the funds, not the account itself; learners often use it to mean the penalty fee.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used as a noun adjunct in phrases like 'NSF fee' or 'NSF check'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.