Did you know?
Fiscal derives from the Latin noun fiscus, meaning "basket" or "treasury." In ancient Rome, fiscus was the term for the treasury controlled by the emperor, where the money was literally stored in baskets and was collected primarily in the form of revenue from the provinces. Fiscus also gave English confiscate, which is most familiar as a verb meaning "to seize by or as if by authority," but it can additionally refer to the forfeiting of private property to public use. Today, we often encounter fiscal in "fiscal year," a 12-month accounting period not necessarily coinciding with the calendar year.
Synonyms
Examples of fiscal in a Sentence
Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 29 Apr. 2024
Sumitomo’s fiscal 2023 earnings are due Thursday, when the company is also scheduled to reveal its medium-term business plan.
—Winnie Hsu, Fortune Asia, 29 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fiscal 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fiscal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fiscal
Cite this Entry
“Fiscal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiscal. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
fiscal
adjective
Adjective
Latin fiscalis, from fiscus basket, treasury
Share