legal tender

noun

: money that is legally valid for the payment of debts and that must be accepted for that purpose when offered

Synonyms of legal tender

• cash
• money
• coin
• currency
• bucks

Examples of legal tender in a Sentence

Soon after France adopted the euro, the French franc ceased to be legal tender.

coins and bills are considered legal tender, but postage stamps are not

Recent Examples on the Web

In early 2022, Nayib Bukele—the president of El Salvador who made Bitcoin legal tender in his country—photoshopped himself wearing a McDonald’s uniform after the cryptocurrency dropped. —Carlos Garcia, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025

Impact on Customers Though the penny will remain legal tender, everyday cash transactions may increasingly resemble McDonald’s policy, with retailers rounding to the nearest nickel when pennies are unavailable. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

While pennies will remain legal tender, old ones will gradually be taken out of circulation. —Nancy Forster-Holt, The Conversation, 20 Nov. 2025

While the penny remains legal tender, banks and merchants are already reporting shortages. —Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1730, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for legal tender

• recommender
• bartender
• contender
• defender
• engender
• extender
• offender
• pretender
• provender
• surrender
• suspender
• transgender

Kids Definition

legal tender

noun

: money that the law authorizes for paying debts

Legal Definition

legal tender

noun

: money that is legally valid for the payment of debts and that must be accepted for that purpose when offered