face value

noun

1

: the value indicated on the face (as of a postage stamp or a stock certificate)

2

: the apparent value or significance

if their remarks may be taken at face value

Examples of face value in a Sentence

We paid $100 for tickets that had a face value of $50.

Recent Examples on the Web

At face value, this might all seem quite silly. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 June 2026

The traditional approach to ESG reporting tended to involve buying carbon offsets in bulk, taking a supplier's ethical sourcing spreadsheet at face value, or reviewing documentation months after the activity in question had already happened. —Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Instead, the worry is what the world might make of such suppression—and whether there’s even room in people’s brains these days to collectively consider, and take at face value, a shocking revelation of this magnitude. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026

That is almost half the price of most face value tickets for the match. —Kellis Robinett, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for face value

• eigenvalue
• undervalue

Kids Definition

face value

noun

1

: the value indicated on the face of something (as a coin, bill, bond, or insurance policy)

2

: the apparent worth or significance

can't take what he says at face value

Legal Definition

face value

noun

: the value indicated on the face of something (as a stock certificate)