franc

noun

ˈfraŋk 

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

Instead, French politicians provided 500,000 francs to the Society of Habous for construction costs to protect the appearance of religious neutrality. — Shannon Fogg, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2026

In March, in an effort to salvage the season’s harvest, the Ivorian government abruptly slashed the farm-gate price by more than half, to 1,200 CFA francs ($2) per kilogram. — Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Aug. 2026

Africa Finance Corporation raised 350 million Swiss francs ($430 million) through a five-year digital bond, giving investors another way to back infrastructure across the continent. — Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026

An American who purchases a home in Switzerland, Germany or the United Kingdom typically finances that home in Swiss francs, euros or pounds — the currency in which the property is priced and in which the taxpayer earns income. — Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing franc

• Cabernet franc
• franc-tireur

Rhymes for franc

• banc
• bank
• blank
• clank
• crank
• dank
• drank
• flank
• hank
• lank
• plank
• prank

Kids Definition

franc

noun

ˈfraŋk 

1

: the former basic unit of money of France and Belgium

2

: a basic unit of money (as of Switzerland)

3

: a coin representing one franc