exchange rate

American  

noun

• exchange rates
  plural

1. the ratio at which a unit of the currency of one country can be exchanged for that of another country.

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exchange rate British  

noun

1. the rate at which the currency unit of one country may be exchanged for that of another

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exchange rate Cultural  

1. The price at which one currency can be purchased with another currency or gold. At any time, for example, one U.S. dollar can purchase a certain number of EU euros or Japanese yen.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• exchange rates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of exchange rate

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

exchange rate

Since the gap between U.S. and Japanese rates historically is an important influence on the exchange rate, the prospect of higher rates in America suggests Tokyo will have to move faster.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Lamont was the U.K. chancellor who tried — unsuccessfully — to keep the U.K. in the European exchange rate mechanism.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

A rising dollar-won exchange rate, which indicates a weakening Korean won, had closely tracked the rally in chip stocks over the first half of the year.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026

The MAS uses the exchange rate rather than interest rates as its main policy tool because Singapore’s trade flows dwarf its domestic economic activity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

For one thing, the exchange rate was bad and the rooms—besides being paid in advance, and with my money—were already rather more than I could afford.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• rate of exchange