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

Etymology

Origin of currency

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

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

In currency-adjusted dollar terms, they have suffered because of the fall in the Indian currency.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Higher prices lower activity in sectors that use a lot of energy, and mean that consumers are spending more on imports than goods and services produced in the currency area.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

A promise to pay money is only as good as the fidelity of the debtor and the integrity of the currency in which the creditor is paid.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Even a former U.S. comptroller of the currency agrees.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

Seven years later, when the North Korean government launched a disastrous currency reform that impoverished and enraged tens of thousands of traders, the news was reported within hours by Free North Korea Radio.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

Treasury yields are still elevated while oil prices remain high, keeping oil-importing Asian currencies like the Indonesian rupiah, the Philippine peso, and the Thai baht relatively more exposed, the strategists add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

The dollar jumped to its highest level since April 2025 against a basket of currencies, deriving continued support from the prospect of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates further.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

The selloff rippled through other markets and currencies on Thursday, with France’s benchmark CAC 40 down 1.6% and indexes in Spain and Italy down more than 2%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

The dollar rose to a three-month high against a basket of currencies after briefly pulling back in the previous session.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Cornwall Capital, they decided, would not merely search for market inefficiency but search for it globally, in every market: stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• cash