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 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 The mislabeling of President Andrew Jackson’s portrait is just one of the telltale signs signifying that some bills getting passed around in Greater Boston are movie props and not legal tender. — Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 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
  • There is no Florida law that requires a business to accept cash.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 28 July 2026
  • While hardware is still its bread and butter, the company is investing significant amounts of resources and cash into growing a wider healthcare ecosystem.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of cash
Noun
  • Villa’s desire to address this position has grown in prominence over the summer, with Jadon Sancho’s loan ending, Evann Guessand and Leon Bailey available to leave and Villa having the money to spend from Rogers’ sale.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Georgia voters should look twice before donating money to candidates this election season.
    — Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of money
Noun
  • Cooper won a coin toss and received Bueckers, the leader in fan votes.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 July 2026
  • Peak Design previously made a card-sized location tracking device (similar to an AirTag), and it's now shrunk that down to a coin-sized version that fits in the baseplate.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
Definition of coin
Noun
  • But Korea is not experiencing large capital inflows or persistent currency appreciation seen in Japan a few years before the bubble burst, giving the Bank of Korea greater flexibility to calibrate policy.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 24 July 2026
  • The economists also advocate for temporary aid to workers and the most vulnerable groups exposed to the shock of price liberalization, currency unification, and unemployment due to the restructuring of state enterprises.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Definition of currency
Noun
  • In embracing the breaks as a new opportunity to jam more marketing bucks into the funnel, Fox waltzed off with a bigger share of the World Cup’s largesse.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 24 July 2026
  • It's called the Buck Moon because male deer, which are known as bucks, will see significant growth in their antlers throughout this time, according to the almanac.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 23 July 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 31 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on legal tender

Nglish: Translation of legal tender for Spanish Speakers

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