legal tender

noun

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

Synonyms

• 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

The law leans on constitutional authority: Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution allows states to adopt gold and silver as legal tender. —Luciano Duque, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2025

For decades, the U.S. has operated on fiat currency, and while federal law already recognizes U.S. gold and silver coins as legal tender, their actual commercial use has been rare and logistically challenging. —James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025

Pennies will remain legal tender and can still be used or exchanged at banks, credit unions, and Coinstar kiosks in Ohio and nationwide. —Alex Perry, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

El Salvador's 2021 adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender marked an early challenge to dollar hegemony. —Arafat Kabir, Forbes.com, 26 June 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