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Synonyms

fiat money

American  

noun

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


fiat money British  

noun

  1. 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

The pound volumes echoed similar instances of investors jumping into bitcoin when fiat money came under pressure, including in Russia and Ukraine this year.

From Reuters • Oct. 25, 2022

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

Why allow fiat money to fade out when a simple act of Congress can make it as good as gold?

From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 8 (of 12) Dresden Edition?Political by Ingersoll, Robert Green

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