denarius
Americannoun
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denarii
plural
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a silver coin and monetary unit of ancient Rome, first issued in the latter part of the 3rd century b.c., that fluctuated in value and sometimes appeared as a bronze coin.
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a gold coin of ancient Rome equal to 25 silver denarii; aureus.
noun
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a silver coin of ancient Rome, often called a penny in translation
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a gold coin worth 25 silver denarii
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of denarius
First recorded in 1565–85; from Latin dēnārius, originally an adjective: “containing ten (asses)”; see origin at denary
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.
See Examples For:
Ms Hardy said they range "across the reign of 14 Emperors and 1 Empress and include a previously unrecorded coin - a denarius of Emperor Tetricus I".
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2023
After 20 years digging up denarius coins on Time Team, he surely knows more than most about the Roman occupation of England.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 24, 2015
By 280 A.D., a denarius was 98 percent copper, with a thin silver wash on the surface.
From New York Times ● Apr. 30, 2015
In Augustus’s time, a silver coin called a denarius was in use throughout the empire.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2012
The next morning, when Janaki awoke and descended to Halil, he gave him a piece of money which they call a golden denarius.
From Halil the Pedlar A Tale of Old Stambul by Mór Jókai
The rest of the coins show six emperors and two of their wives, with the most recent denarii dating to AD175-6.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2025
The denarii, believed to have been placed in the ground in about AD 69 to 70, were found in Gobowen, Shropshire.
From BBC ● Jan. 11, 2022
"In terms of spending value, a Roman legionary soldier was paid 300 denarii a year - so these coins represent no more than two to three days' legionary pay."
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2019
But under the emperor Nero, starting in 64 A.D., the proportion of silver was reduced to 80 percent and the state made a tidy profit by recycling the all-silver denarii into debased ones.
From New York Times ● May 14, 2018
She found herself surrounded by a knee-high mound of treasure—Roman denarii, silver drachmas, ancient gold jewelry, glittering diamonds and topaz and rubies—enough to fill several lawn bags.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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