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
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Recent Examples of legal tender
In early 2022, Nayib Bukele—the president of El Salvador who made Bitcoin legal tender in his country—photoshopped himself wearing a McDonald’s uniform after the cryptocurrency dropped.
—
Carlos Garcia, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025
Impact on Customers Though the penny will remain legal tender, everyday cash transactions may increasingly resemble McDonald’s policy, with retailers rounding to the nearest nickel when pennies are unavailable.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
While pennies will remain legal tender, old ones will gradually be taken out of circulation.
—Nancy Forster-Holt, The Conversation, 20 Nov. 2025
While the penny remains legal tender, banks and merchants are already reporting shortages.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legal tender
Carlos Garcia, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025
Impact on Customers Though the penny will remain legal tender, everyday cash transactions may increasingly resemble McDonald’s policy, with retailers rounding to the nearest nickel when pennies are unavailable.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
While pennies will remain legal tender, old ones will gradually be taken out of circulation.
—Nancy Forster-Holt, The Conversation, 20 Nov. 2025
While the penny remains legal tender, banks and merchants are already reporting shortages.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legal tender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legal tender
Noun
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Be wary of those who push for your cash without offering sufficient collateral or payback plans.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
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Winners can also choose the lump‑sum cash option.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The difference is that in prediction markets, people are wagering actual money, which tends to sharpen the mind in ways that answering a pollster's call during dinner does not.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
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What happened in podcasting is that money arrived, and some of it went into producing video clips.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Neither coin has been approved by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Council, a nonpartisan group created by Congress to advise the treasury on coin design.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
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Jayson Tatum flipped the coin at midfield before the international soccer friendly, and the team watched the match from a luxury box.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Reduced rates by the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, and Bank of England would offer respite not just for their own economies but also those of developing countries that borrow in foreign currencies to attract global investors.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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Higher energy prices are also expected to widen India’s current account deficit, which has contributed to a weakening of the local currency, with the rupee touching record lows in recent days.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Once the appeals are launched, regulatory spotlights are likely to be ramped up with big-bucks settlements paid out to keep the courts and lawmakers out of the matters.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
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Last month, the national average was below three bucks.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legal tender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legal%20tender. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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