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 of monetary

• financial
• economic
• fiscal

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

And giving up monetary policy flexibility is unattractive for an economy that has often relied on investment to stimulate growth. — Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Fortune, 17 July 2026

That monetary threshold means the organization does not have to file more detailed annual financial reports. — Alex Andrejev, New York Times, 17 July 2026

To ensure that their long-term plans stay on track, Macdonald says parents should talk with a financial professional before offering any monetary gifts to their kids. — Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 16 July 2026

Had Marsh taken that step — known in legal parlance as striking Basabe’s affirmative defenses — the jury would have only had to determine monetary damages against Basabe on each count, skipping the step of deciding whether to hold Basabe liable. — Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

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
• apiary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• bacillary
• beriberi
• bestiary
• breviary
• budgetary

Kids Definition

monetary

adjective

mon·​e·​tary ˈmän-ə-ˌter-ē 

also ˈmən-

: of or relating to money

this administration's monetary policy