1
2
a
: a usually flat piece of metal issued by governmental authority as money
b
: metal money
c
: something resembling a coin especially in shape
d
: a unit of a cryptocurrency
I also caution market participants against promoting or touting the offer and sale of coins without first determining whether the securities laws apply to those actions.—
Jay Clayton
Jay Clayton3
: something used as if it were money (as in verbal or intellectual exchange)
perhaps wisecracks … are respectable literary coin in the U.S.—The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)would repay him with the full coin of his mind—Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming4
: something having two different and usually opposing sides
—usually used in the phrase the other side of the coin
5
informal
: money
I'm in it for the coin—Sinclair Lewis
Sinclair Lewis
coined; coining; coins
Synonyms
Noun
Examples of coin in a Sentence
Noun
I have a dollar in coins.
seeking a job that pays plenty of coin
Verb
The coach coined the phrase “refuse to lose.”
William Shakespeare is believed to have coined many words.
The nation plans to coin more money.
Recent Examples on the WebSarah Han, Allure, 19 Nov. 2023
The Super Mario part asks you to navigate throughout the game world by running and jumping and grabbing coins, occasionally bonking floating blocks with your head to get stuff out of them.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 15 Nov. 2023
On the flip side of the coin stand those clients determined to steer clear of any and all financial pitfalls.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 8 Nov. 2023
Beggars were given marked coins that no shop would accept.
—Ilana Masad, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
Queen Elizabeth wore the accessory numerous times throughout her 70 years on the throne, including in depictions of her on some British and Commonwealth banknotes and coins.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 7 Nov. 2023
The gifts range from stickers of roses and the TikTok logo, which cost just a couple of coins, up to animations that take over the full screen that cost up to 45,000 coins.
—WIRED, 26 Oct. 2023
Gold coins, bars and collectibles For some investors, ownership of shares of a stock or fund might seem a little abstract.
—Chris Taylor, wsj.com, 25 Oct. 2023
This all came to a head when investors decided to sell their coins on the exchange.
—Brandy Hadley, The Conversation, 7 Nov. 2023
Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023
The crown jewel of Dalio’s new creations was called the Politburo, its name borrowed from the decision-making body of China’s Communist Party and first coined by Russian Bolsheviks.
—Rob Copeland, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2023
Since the term was coined, in the eighteen-sixties, Americans have gone through cycles of enchantment and disenchantment with the idea.
—Ryan Ruby, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2023
Early in the coronavirus pandemic—not long after public-health experts began coining terms such as coronasomnia to describe one of the side effects of the growing crisis—hotels began embracing a new genre of travel.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 12 Oct. 2023
In 2020, Wall Street Journal columnist Christopher Mims coined the term Huang’s Law after Nvidia co-founder and Chief Executive Jensen Huang, which stated that the silicon chips that power AI more than double in performance every two years.
—Steven Rosenbush, WSJ, 8 Nov. 2023
As early as the mid-1950s, paleoanthropologist Raymond Dart coined the idea that our early ancestors hunted animals to survive on the barren African savannah.
—Katharina Menne, Scientific American, 25 Oct. 2023
The psychologists Philip Brickman and Donald T. Campbell coined a term for this phenomenon: the hedonic treadmill.
—Shane Parrish, Time, 6 Oct. 2023
The shared purpose Johnson was hitting on, that joie de vivre that served as the basis for David Émile Durkheim’s theory of religion, was coined by the sociologist in the 20th century.
—Tyler R. Tynes, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023
Kim Chatelain, NOLA.com, 21 June 2017
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Noun
And, thanks to the deals, the surplus of coins can go right back into the fund for next year.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 19 Nov. 2023
The Super Mario part asks you to navigate throughout the game world by running and jumping and grabbing coins, occasionally bonking floating blocks with your head to get stuff out of them.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 15 Nov. 2023
On the flip side of the coin stand those clients determined to steer clear of any and all financial pitfalls.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 8 Nov. 2023
Beggars were given marked coins that no shop would accept.
—Ilana Masad, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
Queen Elizabeth wore the accessory numerous times throughout her 70 years on the throne, including in depictions of her on some British and Commonwealth banknotes and coins.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 7 Nov. 2023
The gifts range from stickers of roses and the TikTok logo, which cost just a couple of coins, up to animations that take over the full screen that cost up to 45,000 coins.
—WIRED, 26 Oct. 2023
Gold coins, bars and collectibles For some investors, ownership of shares of a stock or fund might seem a little abstract.
—Chris Taylor, wsj.com, 25 Oct. 2023
This all came to a head when investors decided to sell their coins on the exchange.
—Brandy Hadley, The Conversation, 7 Nov. 2023
Verb
Astronomers first coined this term in the 1980s, but then, for decades, it was largely forgotten.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023
The crown jewel of Dalio’s new creations was called the Politburo, its name borrowed from the decision-making body of China’s Communist Party and first coined by Russian Bolsheviks.
—Rob Copeland, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2023
Since the term was coined, in the eighteen-sixties, Americans have gone through cycles of enchantment and disenchantment with the idea.
—Ryan Ruby, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2023
Early in the coronavirus pandemic—not long after public-health experts began coining terms such as coronasomnia to describe one of the side effects of the growing crisis—hotels began embracing a new genre of travel.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 12 Oct. 2023
In 2020, Wall Street Journal columnist Christopher Mims coined the term Huang’s Law after Nvidia co-founder and Chief Executive Jensen Huang, which stated that the silicon chips that power AI more than double in performance every two years.
—Steven Rosenbush, WSJ, 8 Nov. 2023
As early as the mid-1950s, paleoanthropologist Raymond Dart coined the idea that our early ancestors hunted animals to survive on the barren African savannah.
—Katharina Menne, Scientific American, 25 Oct. 2023
The psychologists Philip Brickman and Donald T. Campbell coined a term for this phenomenon: the hedonic treadmill.
—Shane Parrish, Time, 6 Oct. 2023
The shared purpose Johnson was hitting on, that joie de vivre that served as the basis for David Émile Durkheim’s theory of religion, was coined by the sociologist in the 20th century.
—Tyler R. Tynes, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023
Adjective
The victim told him where to find a bedroom safe and coin jar, which together contained $230.
—Kim Chatelain, NOLA.com, 21 June 2017
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French coing wedge, corner, from Latin cuneus wedge
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
circa 1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of coin was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing coin
Dictionary Entries Near coin
Cite this Entry
“Coin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coin. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
coin
1 of 3 noun1
: a piece of metal put out by a government authority as money
2
: metal money
three dollars in coin
coin
3 of 3 adjective1
: of or relating to coins
a coin show
2
: operated by coins
a laundromat's coin washers
More from Merriam-Webster on coin
Nglish: Translation of coin for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of coin for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about coin
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