smart money
Americannoun
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money invested or wagered by experienced investors or bettors.
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such knowledgeable investors or bettors.
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Law. punitive or exemplary damages.
noun
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money bet or invested by experienced gamblers or investors, esp with inside information
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the gamblers or investors themselves
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money paid in order to extricate oneself from an unpleasant situation or agreement, esp from military service
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money paid by an employer to someone injured while working for him
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law damages awarded to a plaintiff where the wrong was aggravated by fraud, malice, etc
Etymology
Origin of smart money
First recorded in 1685–95
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.
That is why allocating a high percentage of shares to individual investors has historically been viewed as a sign that the smart money isn’t interested.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
“The earlier you start, the more confident they’ll feel about making smart money decisions later,” Seitz said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026
But for the first time, it’s starting to look like smart money isn’t laughing at the idea anymore — it’s quietly sliding chips across the table.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026
Those trades are often closely watched by market participants seeking to track the so-called smart money.
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
The smart money was on half a century, at the outside.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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.
