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

Economists have forecast, for the most part, that a majority of the BOE’s nine-member monetary policy committee (MPC) will vote to keep its key interest rate, known as Bank Rate, unchanged at 4% at its November meeting. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2025

And the persistent absence of those figures could derail monetary policymaking and put future rate cuts at risk. —Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025

Together, with monetary donations from the community, the two friends have made three trips to the store to purchase enough food to keep the pantry fully stocked for days, Ortega said. —Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 6 Nov. 2025

Even a successful monetary policy won’t return consumer prices to 2019 levels. —W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 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