Synonyms

fiat money

American

noun

paper currency made legal tender by a fiat of the government, but not based on or convertible into coin.

fiat money British

noun

money declared by a government to be legal tender though it is not convertible into standard specie

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fiat money

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

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.

"No. You can use fiat money to do something good or something bad," he says.

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2025

Maybe they believe they're skeptical about fiat money and the Federal Reserve, so they've gone all in on crypto and could wind up in a bad place there.

From Salon • Jul. 11, 2023

Although cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin often appear similar to the fiat money we’re accustomed to, in the eyes of the IRS, the digital assets are actually property, according to this FAQ from the federal agency.

From The Verge • Jan. 24, 2022

As a result, while cryptocurrency influencers tend to tweet frequently and may occasionally create videos on TikTok, YouTube is where the real fiat money is at.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 13, 2021

He renewed and advocated his fiat money scheme.

From Autobiography of Seventy Years, Vol. 1-2 by Hoar, George Frisbie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023