money

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

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

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 CHOREs program is also a great way for teens to earn some money and save for college.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Hebron Edition," 10 Apr. 2018
Bureaucrats pay them to diagnose and treat illnesses, shelling out money every time a doctor orders a test or performs a procedure.

— rita e. numerof, STAT, "Microhospitals and healthplexes offer a peek at the future of health care," 10 Apr. 2018
Three men had burst into a home, demanding money and terrorizing the residents.

— lisa arthur, www.feloniousflorida.com, "The Faces of the Killers," 10 Apr. 2018
Disney of course wants to make money from the films.

— alex shephard, The New Republic, "Will Hollywood Ever Make Another Children of Men?," 9 Apr. 2018
Each of the organizations involved receives money from the state government through a bill that passed last year to offer immigration legal services for removal defense, explained Kate Clark, an immigration attorney at Jewish Family Service.

— kate morrissey, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Emergency response network to aid immigrants grows in response to ramped up enforcement," 9 Apr. 2018
There are other ways to help the cause besides donating money.

— megan decker, Harper's BAZAAR, "How You Can Help the People of Syria," 9 Apr. 2018
Some investors are buying stock options that make more money during violent market swings, regardless of whether shares rise or fall, said one adviser.

— gerard baker, WSJ, "The 10-Point.," 6 Apr. 2018
Elena made money babysitting the children of others.

— brittny mejia, www.latimes.com, "They came to L.A. from Mexico for a better life. Now some are finding it — back in Mexico," 6 Apr. 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

: 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

: 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