What does vault mean?
Vault is a versatile word with meanings connected to secure storage, curved architecture, and athletic movement. As a noun, a vault is typically a strongly protected room in which valuables, money, or important documents are kept. It can also refer to an arched ceiling or roof, especially in a substantial stone or brick building. In the context of gymnastics, pole vaulting, or movement over an obstacle, vault is both a verb and a noun: a person vaults an obstacle, and the resulting leap is a vault. The word has a formal, authoritative tone in its architectural and banking senses, suggesting strength, protection, and permanence. In sport, it is precise and conventional, while in literary prose it can convey dramatic leaping. Its Latin ancestry, related to the idea of turning or curving, helps explain why the same word covers both curved spaces and movements that rise or pass over something.
A secure, enclosed room used for storing valuables, or an arched ceiling or roof.
"The bank vault stood behind several layers of steel security."
To leap or jump over or onto something, typically using the hands to support or propel the body.
"The athlete vaulted over the hurdle."
The regular plural of the noun is vaults; the form refers to multiple secure chambers or arched structures.
"The bank's vaults are located beneath the main banking hall."
One word can mean a bank's stronghold, an arch overhead, and a gymnast's flight through the air.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does vault come from?
Vault entered English from Old French vault, which developed from Medieval Latin vaulta and ultimately from Latin volvere, meaning to turn or roll. The name originally referred to a curved or arched space, and the modern sense of a secure chamber developed through architectural and banking uses. The verb's leaping sense is a later development connected with vaulting over or onto something.
Related word forms
How vault is actually used
The noun is formal or specialized in the sense of a secure chamber, while the architectural sense is common in formal writing and descriptions of buildings. The verb is literary, formal, or athletic rather than neutral in everyday speech; in gymnastics and athletics, it is standard terminology.
Easily confused with vault
A vault may be a secure room or an arched structure, whereas a volt is a unit of electrical potential.