penny

1 of 2

noun

pen·​ny ˈpe-nē 

plural pennies ˈpe-nēz  or pence ˈpen(t)s 

often attributive

1

a

: a monetary unit of the United Kingdom formerly equal to 1/240 pound but now equal to 1/100 pound

b

: a similar monetary unit of any of various other countries in or formerly in the Commonwealth of Nations see pound at Money Table

c

: a coin representing one penny

2

: denarius

3

plural pennies : cent

4

: a former monetary unit equal to 1/100 Irish pound

5

: a trivial amount

6

: a piece or sum of money

that will cost a pretty penny

-penny

2 of 2

adjective combining form

: being a (designated) nail size

an eightpenny nail

Examples of penny in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The shelves are bare, and the pennies are being pinched. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2026

The penny was first created in 1792 and was one of the first coins authorized under the Coinage Act. —News Service Of Florida, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026

The fast casual chain just announced its first-ever dedicated value menu to help hungry customers pinch a few pennies. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026

This includes a comic scene about proofreading the monotonous legal documents that clerks like Bartleby were paid pennies to copy, and a scene at the end where a jail cook rattles off all the former occupations of its now-nameless inmates. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English penning, penig; akin to Old High German pfenning, a coin

Adjective combining form

penny; perhaps from the original price per hundred

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing penny

• (a) penny for your thoughts
• a penny saved (is a penny earned)
• a pretty penny
• earn/turn an honest penny
• every penny helps/counts
• in for a penny, in for a pound
• not a penny less/more
• not cost a penny
• penny ante
• penny arcade
• penny candy
• penny dreadful
• penny loafer
• penny-pinching
• penny stock
• penny whistle
• penny-wise
• penny-wise and/but pound-foolish
• ten a penny
• the penny drops
• worth every penny

Rhymes for penny

• any
• bennie
• benny
• henny
• jenny
• many
• antennae
• halfpenny
• propene
• sixpenny
• threepenny
• twopenny

Kids Definition

penny

noun

pen·​ny ˈpen-ē 

plural pennies

-ēz

or pence ˈpen(t)s 

1

a

: a British unit of money formerly equal to ¹⁄₂₄₀ pound but now equal to ¹⁄₁₀₀ pound

b

: a coin representing this unit

2

plural pennies : cent

3

: a sum of money

earn an honest penny