unit trust

noun

1. Also called fixed investment trust, an investment company that has a fixed portfolio of securities, usually of a single type, such as municipal bonds or corporate bonds, which are held to maturity: each investor receives a share in the amount proportionate to their holding.
2. Also called u·ni·trust [yoo, -ni-truhst]. an inflexible type of mutual fund in which each investor is obligated to invest a total specified amount in a certain number of shares, payable in equal amounts on a monthly or quarterly basis over an extended period of time.
3. British. mutual fund.

unit trust

noun

1. an investment trust that issues units for public sale, the holders of which are creditors and not shareholders with their interests represented by a trust company independent of the issuing agency

Word History and Origins

Origin of unit trust¹

First recorded in 1935–40