franc

\ ˈfraŋk

How to pronounce franc (audio)

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Definition of franc

1 : any of various former basic monetary units (as in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg)

2 the basic monetary unit of Switzerland and a number of especially sub-Saharan nations in Africa — see Money Table

Examples of franc in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Still, the franc has gained 5.6% against the dollar this year and traded Monday at $1.09 apiece. — Caitlin Ostroff, WSJ, "Investors Bet on Swiss Franc’s Rise Despite Central Bank Intervention," 5 Oct. 2020 Last December, the West African Economic and Monetary Union bloc of eight mostly French-speaking countries agreed to start phasing out the seven-decade-old common CFA franc this year. — Leanne De Bassompierre, Bloomberg.com, "Ivorian President Doesn’t See Move From CFA Within Three Years," 26 Sep. 2020 Every dollar/euro/Congolese franc that gets to her programs makes a huge difference to the people there. — Bernhard Warner, Fortune, "Global stocks climb ahead of today’s historic U.S. jobless claims report," 16 Apr. 2020 And franc encens in Old French meant the highest quality incense money could buy. — April Long, Town & Country, "Why Frankincense Is Suddenly So Smoking Hot," 5 Dec. 2019 The yen and the Swiss franc, two traditional haven currencies, have proven no match. — Susanne Barton, Bloomberg.com, "Dollar Has No Equal for Investors Sheltering From Outbreak," 8 May 2020 The yen surged, the Swiss franc rallied and the dollar fluctuated. — Todd White / Bloomberg, Time, "'The Market's in Panic Mode.' Stock Markets Plunge Once Again Amid Coronavirus Fears," 16 Mar. 2020 The Japanese yen and Swiss franc have been among the few currencies to hold their own against the dollar, as they are also seen as safe havens in a crisis. — Adrian Croft, Fortune, "King dollar is back, creating a big headache for the global economy at the worst possible time," 22 Mar. 2020 The value of the greenback is surging, up more than 7% against a basket of other currencies -- such as the euro, British pound and Swiss franc -- since hitting the lowest point of 2020 on March 9. — Paul R. La Monica, CNN, "The dollar is on a tear. Here's why that's troubling," 20 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'franc.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

9 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Franc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/franc. Accessed 20 Oct. 2020.

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