money

noun, often attributive

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mon·ey | \ ˈmə-nē

plural moneys or monies\ ˈmə-nēz

Definition of money

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

2a : 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

4a : 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

5a : 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

adjective

Definition of money (Entry 2 of 2)

: involving or reliable in a crucial situation a money player a money pitch

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about money

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Synonyms for money

Synonyms: Noun

bread
[slang],
bucks,
cabbage
[slang],
cash,
change,
chips,
coin,
currency,
dough,
gold,
green,
jack
[slang],
kale
[slang],
legal tender,
lolly
[British],
long green
[slang],
loot,
lucre,
moola
(or moolah)
[slang],
needful,
pelf,
scratch
[slang],
shekels
(also sheqels or shekelim or shekalim or sheqalim),
tender,
wampum

Examples of money in a Sentence

Noun 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 on the Web: Noun All the young men making a salary in the NFL should take care of their money, hopefully as well as Lynch. — Ann Killion, SFChronicle.com, "Marshawn Lynch’s advice resonates after Antonio Brown, Luke Kuechly news," 15 Jan. 2020 Both so far are proving to be political forces in the primary cycle as Bloomberg is entirely self-funding his bid, and Steyer is lining his campaign coffers with his own money. — Carlin Becker, Washington Examiner, "Van Jones on 2020 Democrats: ‘More billionaires in the race than black people’," 15 Jan. 2020 That means the only way their investors will get their money out will be via an acquisition by one of the large companies. — Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic, "Silicon Valley Is Losing Its Most Distinctive Trait," 15 Jan. 2020 Funding for parks, both local and national, seems to always be on the chopping block—when the government has to tighten its belt, money to protect and preserve the great outdoors is often one of the first things to go. — Alisha Mcdarris, Popular Science, "Show your local park some love by planning a volunteer day," 13 Jan. 2020 Families spend their money according to their values and priorities. — Darcy Costello, The Courier-Journal, "Get to know the dozens of candidates running for Louisville Metro Council in 2020," 10 Jan. 2020 Many farmers complain that the groups that receive their money do not disclose details about how it is spent and that sometimes the cash is used to benefit giant factory farms at the expense of family farmers. — Cary Spivak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bill to reform $900 million agriculture checkoff programs introduced in U.S. House," 9 Jan. 2020 Welcome to a weekly discussion about your money hosted by Michelle Singletary, nationally syndicated personal finance columnist for The Washington Post. — The Washington Post, "Color of Money Live with guest Aron Szapiro (Jan. 16)," 9 Jan. 2020 Take this time to prioritize your money this month as a form of self-care. — Kimberly Wilson, Essence, "Prioritize Your Self-Care In 2020 With This Wellness Checklist," 9 Jan. 2020

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.

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More Definitions for money

money

noun

Financial Definition of money

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

noun