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
  • Freezing dormant coins, supporters argue, beats letting a future quantum thief drain them and dump them on the market.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • After all, that’s a whole lot of coin even when your valuation is in the trillions.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of coin
Noun
  • The cash is converted to crypto currency and transferred to criminals - sometimes in just seconds.
    — Aki Nace, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • If the disruption lasts, Russia could choke off a crucial source of foreign currency for Ukraine and boost Russia’s international negotiating leverage by inflicting pain on major grain importers in Africa and Asia.
    — Ian Bremmer, Time, 31 July 2026
Definition of currency
Noun
  • Between it and the wireless mic, the extra hundred-ish bucks for the Vlog Combo is more than justified.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 30 July 2026
  • Names For July’s Full Moon The Buck Moon name is a reference to the antlers of male deer (bucks), which are in full growth in July in North America.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 29 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 3 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on legal tender

Nglish: Translation of legal tender for Spanish Speakers

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