finance
Americannoun
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the management of revenues; the conduct or transaction of money matters generally, especially those affecting the public, as in the fields of banking and investment.
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finances, the monetary resources, as of a government, company, organization, or individual; revenue.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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the system of money, credit, etc, esp with respect to government revenues and expenditures
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funds or the provision of funds
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(plural) funds; financial condition
verb
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(tr) to provide or obtain funds, capital, or credit for
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(intr) to manage or secure financial resources
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of finance
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English finaunce, from Anglo-French, Middle French finance, from fin(er) “to end, settle, pay” ( see fine 2) + -ance -ance
Explanation
To finance something is to pay for it, like using the money you earn at your part-time job to finance your cell phone bill. As a verb, it carries two very different meanings: "to pay for" or "obtain on credit." So, if you can finance your trip, it means you have the money to pay for it. Anyone who works in finance, meaning the banking and investment industry, will tell you plenty of people get in trouble by letting credit cards finance things like vacations.
Vocabulary lists containing finance
"Women in Aviation," Vocabulary from the informational text
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Richard Nixon's "Checkers" Speech (1952)
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Economics
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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.
Our findings suggest smugglers are untroubled by the efforts the government has made to try to "smash the gangs", says Keatinge, founding director of Rusi's Centre for Finance and Security.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Beth Pinsker interviewed Beth Kobliner, who has updated her book, “Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties,” which was first published in 1996.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
“The current budget climate cannot sustain additional appropriations,” David Evans, a Department of Finance budget analyst said at an April 29 Assembly budget committee hearing.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
Finance student Duro, like others priced out in Kearny, will instead be watching the tournament from his home -- around seven miles from the MetLife.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
It had entered the U.S. subprime lending business in 2003, when it had bought America’s biggest consumer lending operation, Household Finance.
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.
