at face value

idiom

1
: for the price that is printed on something
We bought the tickets at face value.
2
: as true or genuine without being questioned or doubted
After all his lying, nothing he says now should be taken/accepted at face value.

Examples of at face value in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While most gun owners, like me, rightly roll their eyes at these performative hysterics, there are a few who take these extremists' warnings at face value. Tim Ryan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025 Yet given evidence of Iran’s past interest in possessing a nuclear bomb prior to 2003, the U.S. could not take this claim at face value. Josh Black, Time, 28 June 2025 Even if the most optimistic demand growth forecast is taken at face value, that can still be more than met by production growth from non-OPEC sources, and that too at a time when OPEC is bringing back more barrels. Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 In that respect, if assertions by the likes of Microsoft and IBM are taken at face value, a smart city is one that utilizes digital information and communication technology to enhance various aspects of urban life, from infrastructure to public services, citizen engagement to city tax receipts. Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for at face value

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“At face value.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20face%20value. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!