currency

American  

[kur-uhn-see, kuhr-] / ˈkɜr ən si, ˈkʌr- /

noun

• currencies
  plural

1. something that is used as a medium of exchange; money.

2. general acceptance; prevalence; vogue.

3. a time or period during which something is widely accepted and circulated.

4. the fact or quality of being widely accepted and circulated from person to person.

5. circulation, as of coin.

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currency British  

/ ˈkʌrənsɪ /

noun

1. a metal or paper medium of exchange that is in current use in a particular country

2. general acceptance or circulation; prevalence

   the currency of ideas

3. the period of time during which something is valid, accepted, or in force

4. the act of being passed from person to person

5. (formerly) the local medium of exchange, esp in the colonies, as distinct from sterling

6. slang

   1. (formerly) the native-born Australians, as distinct from the British immigrants

   2. ( as modifier )

      a currency lad

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currency Cultural  

1. Any form of money in actual use as a medium of exchange.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• currencies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of currency

From the Medieval Latin word currentia, dating back to 1650–60. See current, -ency

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Explanation

Currency is the paper and coin money that a country uses to conduct business. The United States uses a currency that's made up of dollars, quarters, nickels, dimes, and pennies. Just about every country has its own currency — the money its people use to pay for their groceries, clothes, and other goods. Paper currency in the United States is all green and can confuse people who use bills with different colors for different denominations. In addition to describing a country's monetary system, currency means something that is accepted or used. The slang word "daddy-o" was the currency in the 1950s, but people who say it today can expect to receive strange looks.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

currency currencies

OK, goals are currency and Jermain Defoe has netted more as a substitute than any other Premier League player.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Fudging that relationship is easier for the U.S. than France, which no longer has its own currency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Furthermore, he argued, fundamental questions about what an independent Scotland would look and feel like must be answered now - such as the currency that would be used and how the state pension would work.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The company said this marked an upgrade to its midterm ambitions, which previously included organic sales growth at constant currency in the low-teens range on average and profitability expanding faster than sales.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Outside of space and time, time and space, there will be no distance between ourselves and what we wish for; no infinite gulf between currencies; the gulf between currency and eternity is great enough.

From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson

The dollar weakened against a basket of global currencies, lifting gold and bitcoin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Crypto has gone through exactly that same journey, with the diversification benefits and business case around fiat currencies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat known for taking a skeptical stance on virtual currencies.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

In doing so, the RBI shifted gears to join several central banks around the world who have raised rates to curb price rises or boost their currencies.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

He dug into a pocket and brought out a handful of coins of at least three different currencies.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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Related Words

• cash

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