adjective
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of or relating to money or currency
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of or relating to monetarism
a monetary policy
Related Words
See financial.
Other Word 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.
In its April economic update External link, the International Monetary Fund revised 2026 global GDP growth down to 3.1%, off 0.2 percentage points from January, while increasing inflation rates to 4.4% from 4.1%.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
The clearest manifestation is the chasm in per capita gross domestic product: $94,400 in the U.S., according to the International Monetary Fund, compared with $65,300 in Germany, $61,000 in the U.K. and $52,000 in France.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
The Kospi Composite jumped 31% in April, according to FactSet, the best month since Jan. 1998 when it received an International Monetary Fund bailout.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
Monetary policy is ill-suited for shocks like this.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 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.
