legal tender

noun

Definition of legal tendernext
as in cash
something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment coins and bills are considered legal tender, but postage stamps are not

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of legal tender Money Metals Exchange also maintains a state-by-state resource directory covering all 50 states, with information about sales tax laws, capital gains treatment, legal tender status and local coin dealers. — Deane Biermeier, USA Today, 8 July 2026 There are also four bills from the 2025 legislative session that become law on Wednesday, including one to designate gold and silver as legal tender. — Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 25 June 2026 In 1926, the nation’s 150th anniversary, then-President Calvin Coolidge appeared on a commemorative half-dollar coin that was official legal tender. — Bill Barrow, Fortune, 29 May 2026 As the world’s first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, El Salvador has positioned itself as a hub for crypto-curious travelers, with digital wallets operating alongside its low-density tourism. — Angelika Pokovba, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for legal tender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legal tender
  1. cash
  2. money
  3. coin
  4. currency
  5. bucks
Noun
  • Account holders can generally save their money in cash and invest funds within the accounts, similar to a retirement account like a 401(k).
    — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In 2004, the Pentagon hosted a contest that promised a cash prize to the winner of a driverless race through the desert.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of cash
Noun
  • In 2024, the CFPB proposed a rule that would require the disclosure of tips and fees as finance charges as an APR, or the total yearly cost of borrowing money.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The question confronting Israel and its international partners is not simply whether money should flow into Gaza, but also who controls it—and whether the next arrangement will avoid the failures of the last.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of money
Noun
  • This is paired with a custom signature Dover Street Market hut logo nickel coin placed within the traditional penny slot.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • This time, burglars stole gold and silver coins worth more than $100,000.
    — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of coin
Noun
  • Despite currency headwinds, concert, merchandise and licensing revenues are expected to reach record levels.
    — Jenny Lee,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But at the same time, Iraq's foreign currency reserves have shrunk by $20 billion and consumer prices have risen sharply, plunging it into economic crisis.
    — October 16, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of currency
Noun
  • Then, one cool afternoon toward the end of October, two bucks strolled out into the corn 200 yards down the fence.
    — Al Dawson, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In a new series, Kristine Saves You Money, consumer investigator Kristine Lazar shopped around to find deals and found ways to save a few bucks.
    — Kristine Lazar, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of bucks

Browse Nearby Words

legally
legal tender
legate
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Cite this Entry

“Legal tender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legal%20tender. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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