money

noun, often attributive mon·ey \ ˈmə-nē \

|Updated on: 16 Aug 2018

Examples: money in a Sentence

Definition of money

plural moneys or monies play \ˈmə-nēz\

1 : something generally accepted as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment: such as

a : officially coined or stamped metal currency

newly minted money

b : money of account

c : paper money

handed the bank teller a wad of money

2 a : wealth reckoned in terms of money

made her money in the insurance business

b : an amount of money

raised the money for a new library

c moneys or monies plural : sums of money : funds

the collection of tax monies

3 : a form or denomination of coin or paper money

wanted his money in $10 bills

4 a : the first, second, and third place winners (as in a horse or dog race) —usually used in the phrases in the money or out of the money

b : prize money

his horse took third money

5 a : persons or interests possessing or controlling great wealth

politicians at the beck and call of money

b : a position of wealth

born into money

— for one's money

: according to one's preference or opinion

For my money, this is her best novel yet.

— on the money

: exactly right or accurate

His prediction that it would rain was right on the money.

Money Table

See money defined for English-language learners

See money defined for kids

Examples of money in a Sentence

That painting must be worth a lot of money.
He earned some money last summer as a musician.
We're trying to save enough money for a new car.
The town is raising money for the elementary school.
Friends would always ask her for money.
It's an interesting idea, but there's no money in it: it'll never sell.
He made his money in the insurance business.
They decided to put all their money in the stock market.
We didn't have much money when I was growing up.
Most of the project is being paid for by federal monies.

Recent Examples of money from the Web

The Wall Street Journal reported that Deutsche Bank, despite the legal wrangling, did not lose money on the Chicago deal.

— salvador rizzo, chicagotribune.com, "There is an unfounded conspiracy theory about the Supreme Court and Trump Tower Chicago," 14 July 2018
Sweat is detoxifying Some people pay good money to sit in a sauna and sweat out the bad stuff coursing through their bodies.

— weldon b. johnson, azcentral, "8 reasons to love the Phoenix heat in summer," 14 July 2018
Tan boosts China’s clear emergence as a global leader with the looming presence of the World Expo – proof that the world now comes to China with both money and manpower.

— terry hong, The Christian Science Monitor, "'What We Were Promised' depicts post-Mao China in a deft debut novel set in Shanghai," 13 July 2018
Banks generally set aside money to account for these costs.

— adam shell, USA TODAY, "Credit card holders at JPMorgan rush to cash in their rewards points," 13 July 2018
Last fall, the Bel Air Lions donated money to the Town of Bel Air to construct a new shelter/pavilion at the playground.

— The Aegis, "Pavilion installed at Shamrock Park, equipment improved," 13 July 2018
The doctor didn’t even take money for the prescriptions, making his behavior harder still to explain.

— joshua sharpe, ajc, "Renowned Atlanta doctor who traded pills for sex pleads guilty in Cobb," 13 July 2018
The 2019 capital budget took effect July 1 and contains money for the work.

— kate magill, Howard County Times, "Howard County to fund $20 million in road, sidewalk, traffic improvements," 13 July 2018
The widow of a UAW vice president who is also a prominent Detroit-area photographer on Friday became the first person sentenced in a case tied to the wide-ranging scandal involving misuse of money meant to train Fiat Chrysler Automobiles workers.

— eric d. lawrence, Detroit Free Press, "Widow of UAW VP Holiefield gets 18 months in federal corruption case," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'money.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of money

Middle English moneye, from Anglo-French moneie, from Latin moneta mint, money — more at mint

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

money Synonyms

Other Monetary Terms

clad, legend, numismatic, obverse, reverse, scrip, series, specie

money

adjective

Definition of money

: involving or reliable in a crucial situation

a money player

a money pitch

Origin and Etymology of money

see ¹money

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1934

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Financial Definition of MONEY

money

noun

What It Is

Money is a medium of exchange for goods or services within an economy.

How It Works

Philosophically, anything can be money, but coins and paper notes are the most generally accepted forms. In most cases, each country in the world has its own money, but in many cases several countries use the same money (such as the Euro). A country's government designs and manufactures that country's money.

Some money is fiat money, meaning that it has no intrinsic value. That is, the paper or metal used to create the money is not worth very much in terms of its value as a raw material. Most paper money is fiat money, and its value comes from what it represents rather than what it is. Before 1971, the U.S. dollar was not fiat money -- it was backed by a corresponding amount of gold held with the Federal Reserve.

The foreign exchange markets are places to trade money, and these markets affect exchange rates (that is, the amounts of one money needed to buy a certain amount of another money).

Why It Matters

Most money only has value because people want it. This idea is what made beaver pelts, shells, peppercorns, tulip bulbs, and other things into money at various points in history. However, when the demand (or fashion) faded for some of these goods (or more people found they really needed corn instead of beaver pelts), these systems became cumbersome. Paper money solves these problem because it is exchangeable for any good or service that people want (rather than just beaver pelts).

This isn't to say that paper and coins aren't the only forms of viable money today. Quite often, companies use shares of their own stock as money to acquire other companies, and anybody who has ever watched a crime show knows that cigarettes can buy a lot in prison.

Source: Investing Answers

MONEY Defined for English Language Learners

money

noun

Definition of money for English Language Learners

: something (such as coins or bills) used as a way to pay for goods and services and to pay people for their work
: a person's wealth : the money that a person has
monies : amounts of money