wallet

American  

[wol-it, waw-lit] / ˈwɒl ɪt, ˈwɔ lɪt /

noun

1. a flat, folding pocketbook, especially one large enough to hold paper money, credit cards, driver's license, etc., and sometimes having a compartment for coins.

2. Chiefly British. a bag for carrying food, clothing, toilet articles, etc., during a journey; knapsack or rucksack.

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wallet British  

/ ˈwɒlɪt /

noun

1. a small folding case, usually of leather, for holding paper money, documents, etc

2. a bag used to carry tools

3. archaic a rucksack or knapsack

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Etymology

Origin of wallet

1350–1400; Middle English walet < ?

Compare meaning

How does wallet compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• billfold vs. wallet

Example Sentences

And as companies get better at collecting and analyzing personal data, they aren’t just gunning for the money coming out of your wallet — they’re controlling how much goes into it, too.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Japanese fintech PayPay, a mobile digital wallet, is up more than 40% from its IPO price following its listing on March 12.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Trying to trick them, he showed them a wallet that contained only a little money.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

A reader learned this the hard way recently when Delta wouldn’t accept her checked bag because she lost her wallet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Miss Keya asks when we take Teddy’s book over to the checkout desk with the library card I find buried in my wallet.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Related Words

• folder
• pocketbook
• purse