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

Treasury bills are sold at a discount and pay their full face value at maturity. —Colin Dodds, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Apr. 2026

Haney’s bill would ban re-selling tickets at more than 10 percent above face value in California. —Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026

The 2018 Government Accountability Office study found fees for secondary tickets ranged from 20% to 56% of the face value of the ticket, with an average fee of about 31%, compared with the 27% figure for the primary market. —Leah Nylen, Bloomberg, 9 Apr. 2026

Anyone still hoping to get in must turn to the official AXS resale system or secondary market resellers, where prices run well above face value. —Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026

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)