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

Geopolitics returns to the fore Next week, investors will switch focus from monetary policy to geopolitical tensions. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026

The European Central Bank has also recently tightened monetary policy, while the Bank of England this week held its benchmark interest rate but signalled possible hikes ahead. — September 18, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

Those include the absence of non-monetary contributions reported by Kobach’s campaign and the lack of a last-minute contribution report, which discloses donations during the last week before an election, filed by the campaign. — Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026

The decline raises the prospect of an interest rate cut by the central bank at next week’s monetary policy committee meeting, the penultimate one for this year. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 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