face value

noun

1

: the value indicated on the face (as of a postage stamp or a stock certificate)

2

: the apparent value or significance

if their remarks may be taken at face value

Examples of face value in a Sentence

We paid $100 for tickets that had a face value of $50.

Recent Examples on the Web

The standoff is over. More than 100 NFL players were fined for reselling Super Bowl 59 tickets above face value, a league source told The Athletic. —Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 26 July 2025

The team employees will be fined double the amount of the ticket’s face value. —Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 25 July 2025

The league prohibits employees and players from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or more than the employee originally paid — whichever is less. —Jessica Golden, CNBC, 25 July 2025

Instead, artists, promoters, sports teams, and venues set the face value prices for tickets. —Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for face value

• eigenvalue
• undervalue

Kids Definition

face value

noun

1

: the value indicated on the face of something (as a coin, bill, bond, or insurance policy)

2

: the apparent worth or significance

can't take what he says at face value

Legal Definition

face value

noun

: the value indicated on the face of something (as a stock certificate)