peso

noun

pe·​so ˈpā-(ˌ)sō 

ˈpe-

plural pesos

1

: an old silver coin of Spain and Spanish America equal to eight reales

2

: the basic monetary unit of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Philippines, and Uruguay see Money Table

Examples of peso in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Clinton deepened Washington’s commitment to the North American project, extending a large loan to Mexico during the 1995 peso crisis to prevent economic instability from spilling over into the United States. — Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026

Poverty surged to nearly 53% in the first half of 2024 after his government’s devaluation of the peso and sweeping spending cuts left most Argentines unable to afford a basket of basic goods. — Débora Rey, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Last year, Washington backed a $20 billion International Monetary Fund bailout for Argentina and extended a separate $20 billion currency-swap line to stabilize the Argentine peso. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

Then in 2001, the convertibility system collapsed, and inflation collapsed and the peso took off, suggesting that dollarization treats a symptom of the disease, not the underlying cause. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, literally, weight, from Latin pensum — more at poise

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

peso

noun

pe·​so ˈpā-sō 

plural pesos

1

: an old silver coin of Spain or Spanish America

2

a

: the basic unit of money of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Philippines, and Uruguay

b

: a coin or bill representing one peso