monetary

adjective

mon·​e·​tary ˈmä-nə-ˌter-ē 

 also  ˈmə-

: of or relating to money or to the mechanisms by which it is supplied to and circulates in the economy

a crime committed for monetary gain

a government's monetary policy

monetarily

ˌmä-nə-ˈter-ə-lē 

 also  ˌmə-

adverb

Synonyms

• financial
• fiscal
• economic

Examples of monetary in a Sentence

a crime committed for monetary gain

Gold was once the basis of the U.S. monetary system.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Fed has indeed been too late in beginning to relax monetary policy, and the bank would have known it much earlier with better BLS leadership. —Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025

Trump has also suggested that if Powell does not act, the Federal Reserve Board should take control of monetary policy decisions. —Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025

This string of data has essentially guaranteed the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its monetary policy meeting next week after having held rates steady for close to a year. —Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025

But Yardeni, who began his career in the economics research department of the New York Fed in 1977, doesn’t think the economy is weak enough to merit easier monetary policy. —Fred Imbert, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin monetarius of a mint, of money, from Latin moneta

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing monetary

• monetary aggregate
• monetary unit

Rhymes for monetary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

monetary

adjective

mon·​e·​tary ˈmän-ə-ˌter-ē 

 also  ˈmən-

: of or relating to money

this administration's monetary policy