financial
Americanadjective
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pertaining to monetary receipts and expenditures; pertaining or relating to money matters; pecuniary.
financial operations.
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of or relating to those commonly engaged in dealing with money and credit.
noun
adjective
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of or relating to finance or finances
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of or relating to persons who manage money, capital, or credit
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informal having money; in funds
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(of a club member) fully paid-up
Synonym Usage
Financial, fiscal, monetary, pecuniary refer to matters concerned with money. Financial usually refers to money matters or transactions of some size or importance: a financial wizard. Fiscal is used especially in connection with government funds, or those of any organization: the end of the fiscal year. Monetary relates especially to money as such: a monetary system or standard. Pecuniary refers to money as used in making ordinary payments: a pecuniary obligation or reward.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of financial
Explanation
If you are short on cash, you might say you have a financial problem. Talking about finances is a polite and formal way to refer to money. The similarity between the words financial and finish is no accident. Both come from the Old French word fine, which was generally used to mean "end" or "finish" and more specifically to mean "end a debt." If you pay a fine, you end the debt you owe society for, say, spitting your gum on the sidewalk, or failing to clean up after your dog.
Vocabulary lists containing financial
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
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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.
Find insight on major Gulf stocks, JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and more in the latest Market Talks covering financial services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
“The data shows a clear shift in what success looks like for today’s renters. Instead of focusing on homeownership, many are prioritizing financial freedom and debt-free living,” Chase Harrington, president of Entrata, told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs were among the banking heavyweights reporting higher third-quarter profits due in part to solid trading and financial advisory revenues while describing continued US consumer health despite inflation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Its chief financial officer told The Wall Street Journal that the drug company is thinking more seriously about spinning out its hips-and-knees business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Across AIG FP the view of the boss was remarkably consistent: Cassano was a guy with a crude feel for financial risk but a real talent for bullying people who doubted him.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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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.