kwanza

noun

kwan·​za ˈkwän-zə How to pronounce kwanza (audio)
plural kwanzas also kwanza
the basic monetary unit of Angola see Money Table

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Between March 2018 and March 2019 (when the surveys for the index were conducted), the Angolan kwanza fell 49% versus the US dollar. Yomi Kazeem, Quartz Africa, 9 Aug. 2019 And that’s the root of Angola’s fall in the rankings: in Jan. 2018, the government ditched its currency peg to the dollar and essentially devalued its local kwanza currency. Yomi Kazeem, Quartz Africa, 9 Aug. 2019 Mr Lourenço has unpegged Angola’s currency, the kwanza, from the dollar, prompting it to fall by 27% since January. The Economist, 3 May 2018 Angola’s Eurobonds have outperformed those of most other emerging markets in the past few months, thanks in part to reforms under new President Joao Lourenco, including a devaluation of the kwanza. Bloomberg.com, 2 May 2018 Real estate and art are used to hedge against what many expect to be a precipitous decline in the kwanza. Henrique Almeida, Bloomberg.com, 14 Sep. 2017 João Lourenço, a former general who is favored to win Wednesday’s election, has promised to increase transparency as low oil prices have crippled government resources and the kwanza currency. Patricia Kowsmann, WSJ, 22 Aug. 2017 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Kwanza (Cuanza), river in Angola

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kwanza was in 1978

Dictionary Entries Near kwanza

Cite this Entry

“Kwanza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kwanza. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.

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