par

noun

\ ˈpär

Definition of par

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the established value of the monetary unit of one country expressed in terms of the monetary unit of another country using the same metal as the standard of value

b : the face amount of an instrument of value (such as a check or note): such as

(1) : the monetary value assigned to each share of stock in the charter of a corporation

(2) : the principal of a bond

2 : common level : equality —usually used with on judged the recording to be on a par with previous ones

3a : an amount taken as an average or norm

b : an accepted standard specifically : a usual standard of physical condition or health wasn't feeling up to par today

4 : the score standard for each hole of a golf course The 18th hole is a par 5. also : a score equal to par

par for the course

: not unusual : normal It's par for the course that she's late to the meeting.

par

verb

parred; parring

Definition of par (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to score par on (a hole)

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Examples of par in a Sentence

Noun

He made par on the ninth hole. She finished the 18th hole three strokes under par. He made a par on the ninth hole. She made nine pars in a row.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

For plus size women finding fashion brands that are actually on par with trends from the runways is almost impossible, but beauty mogul Priscilla Ono is changing that. — Teen Vogue, "Priscilla Ono Talks About Her Eloquii Collection at Beautycon," 8 Apr. 2019 However, the beef, kidney & pinto bean, bell pepper, and onion concoction sits on par with most other fast-food chili options. 11. — Alex Aronson, Redbook, "The 14 Best Costco Food Court Menu Items, Ranked," 4 Apr. 2019 That's because its fat content is on par with actual heavy whipping cream. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "The Easiest Hack to Make Your Own Whipped Cream," 4 Apr. 2019 That may be the case, as analysts briefed by Qualcomm said that the chip’s power envelope was on par with the 845. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Meet Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855: AI boosts, a smarter camera, mobile gaming—and bye-bye, JPEG," 5 Dec. 2018 Strong, fearless women are par for the course at Clare Waight Keller’s Givenchy. — Vogue, "Inside Gal Gadot’s Wondrous First Givenchy Show," 11 Mar. 2019 Ultimately, the shift from one art locale to another is par for the course in New York, say art professionals. — Charles Passy, WSJ, "Art Galleries Brush Off Chelsea for Tribeca," 16 Feb. 2019 Driving position is par for the course with an SUV. — Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, "Love the hardware, hate the UI: The Acura MDX Sport Hybrid," 13 Dec. 2018 Feather Messing up your liner is par for the course, even for professionals. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "13 Unexpected Ways to Wear Winged Eyeliner That Are Taking Over Instagram," 14 Sep. 2018

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

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Last Updated

26 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for par

The first known use of par was in 1601

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More Definitions for par

par

noun

Financial Definition of par

What It Is

In the bond world, par is the face value of a bond. That is, the par value is the amount the issuer promises to pay the bondholder when the bond matures. For equities, the par is a very small, arbitrary value assigned to each share.

How It Works

Let's assume Company XYZ issues $10 million in bonds to the public. It may do so by issuing 10,000 bonds, each with a $1,000 face value. That means that when each bond matures, the holder will receive the par value of $1,000. Most corporate bonds have $1,000 face values, but municipal bonds often have $5,000 par values and federal bonds often have $10,000 par values.

The par values for stocks are typically $0.01 per share and are set forth in the issuer's articles of incorporation. For preferred stock, however, par values may be higher because they are often used to calculate dividends.

Why It Matters

For bonds, par is a pricing benchmark. When the bond's price is below par, the bond is considered "discounted;" when the bond's price is above par, the bond is considered "at a premium."

Par has little significance for equities because it generally does not influence the stock price itself. The cumulative par value of all the company's shares outstanding is reflected in the shareholders' equity section of the balance sheet.

Source: Investing Answers

par

noun

English Language Learners Definition of par

: the number of strokes a good golfer is expected to take to finish a golf hole or course

business : the value of a stock or bond that is printed on the paper of the stock or bond itself or that is decided upon when the stock or bond is issued

See the full definition for par in the English Language Learners Dictionary

par

noun

\ ˈpär