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

The war nobody planned Hanke, who has advised governments from Argentina to Estonia on monetary reform, said many of the problems stem from an initial assumption that the war would be over in a matter of days. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026

The People’s Bank of China reaffirmed its cautious monetary easing stance in a quarterly meeting last month, after delivering only one 10-basis-point reduction in the policy interest rate in 2025. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026

The lawsuit is seeking to cover damages suffered by the family but does not request a specific monetary amount. —ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026

Just one week into proceedings, the company reached a shock settlement with the DOJ, which included monetary damages and concessions involving ticketing and its amphitheater business. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 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
• 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