adjective
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of or relating to money or currency
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of or relating to monetarism
a monetary policy
Synonym Usage
See financial.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of monetary
First recorded in 1660–70; from Late Latin monētārius “pertaining to the mint”; see money, -ary
Explanation
If it has to do with money or currency, it’s monetary, like your childhood toy collection that has no monetary value, but you love it nonetheless. The adjective monetary is related to a Latin word that means “mint,” which is not just a refreshing gum or ice cream flavor but, in this case, where money is made. Anything that pertains to money can be described as monetary, like a country whose monetary system consists of metal coins of different denominations or an antiques expert who can tell you the monetary value of the old things in our attic.
Vocabulary lists containing monetary
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
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Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1933), List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Meanwhile, the resulting increase in oil prices has acted as a drag on the global economy, with the International Monetary Fund External link cutting growth forecasts and raising inflation expectations.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
Abiy's economic reforms have received support from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, under the proviso the country liberalises its foreign currency exchange market and gets a handle on its debt.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
David Wessel, a former economics editor of The Wall Street Journal, is a senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy at the Brookings Institution.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
The governor’s comments suggest he is unlikely to back a rise in the key interest rate when the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee meets next month.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
Six months from that moment, the International Monetary Fund would put losses on U.S.-originated subprime-related assets at a trillion dollars.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
