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

In 2015, a Tourbillon Souverain Blue in tantalum sold for 550,000 Swiss francs (about $547,000), four times the price of the platinum version. — Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2026

Over nearly two centuries in trade, the company has dealt in germinal francs, Poincaré francs, de Gaulle francs, and euros, always remaining family-owned. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

In a country where 20% of the population lives on less than $3 per day, the skyscraper’s hefty construction costs – upward of 250 billion CFA francs, or about $450 million – have raised eyebrows. — Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026

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

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