Vocabulary Builder — Essay & Answer Writing
Hypothecate
verb
/ hy-POTH-uh-kayt /
Hard
Meaning
To earmark revenue from a specific tax or levy for a specific, designated purpose, rather than letting it flow into the general exchequer
Origin / Etymology
From Late Latin hypothecare, from Greek hypotheke, 'a pledge or security'
Synonyms
Earmark
Ring-fence
Allocate
Antonyms
Pool
Commingle
Example Sentence
"The reasonable response to the regressivity objection is to hypothecate a share of the HFSS tax's revenue to nutrition programmes serving low-income households, converting a regressive levy into a progressive net transfer."
🎯 UPSC Usage
Use in GS3 budgeting and taxation answers when discussing cesses or sin taxes, e.g., 'the GST Compensation Cess was a hypothecated levy, distinct from ordinary consolidated-fund taxation.'
Relevant Subjects
📰 Related Articles
23 Sept
Current Affairs Today, September 23, 2026, Complete...
23 Sept
SEBI Settles Hindenburg-Linked Disclosure Cases Against...
23 Sept
NHAI Sets Uniform Standards for High-Speed...
✍️ Related Editorials
A new UPSC word every morning
Word of the Day at 7am, plus daily current affairs and free PDFs
Join Channel