finance
Americannoun
-
the management of revenues; the conduct or transaction of money matters generally, especially those affecting the public, as in the fields of banking and investment.
-
finances, the monetary resources, as of a government, company, organization, or individual; revenue.
verb (used with object)
-
finances,
present (3rd person singular)
-
financed,
past participle, past
-
financing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
finances,
present (3rd person singular)
-
financed,
past participle, past
-
financing
present participle
noun
-
the system of money, credit, etc, esp with respect to government revenues and expenditures
-
funds or the provision of funds
-
(plural) funds; financial condition
verb
-
(tr) to provide or obtain funds, capital, or credit for
-
(intr) to manage or secure financial resources
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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superfinancenoun
-
prefinanceverb (used with object)
-
self-financeverb (used with object)
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underfinanceverb (used with object)
-
financeableadjective
-
unfinancedadjective
-
well-financedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
financesimple
-
financessimple
-
have financedperfect
-
has financedperfect
-
am financingprogressive
-
are financingprogressive
-
is financingprogressive
-
have been financingperfect progressive
-
has been financingperfect progressive
Past
-
financedsimple
-
had financedperfect
-
was financingprogressive
-
were financingprogressive
-
had been financingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of finance
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English finaunce, from Anglo-French, Middle French finance, from fin(er) “to end, settle, pay” ( see fine 2) + -ance -ance
Explanation
To finance something is to pay for it, like using the money you earn at your part-time job to finance your cell phone bill. As a verb, it carries two very different meanings: "to pay for" or "obtain on credit." So, if you can finance your trip, it means you have the money to pay for it. Anyone who works in finance, meaning the banking and investment industry, will tell you plenty of people get in trouble by letting credit cards finance things like vacations.
Vocabulary lists containing finance
"Women in Aviation," Vocabulary from the informational text
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Richard Nixon's "Checkers" Speech (1952)
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Economics
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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:
The deal represents one of the biggest Hollywood-centric business and finance stories of the year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
How Kushner and Iger plan to finance the purchase of the Lakers has yet to be determined.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
"I think the wealthy homeowners here doth protest too much," said Dave Backer, a professor of school finance.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Traders will be closely watching his speech at next week's annual meeting of central bankers, economists and finance chiefs in Jackson Hole, hoping for some clarification on monetary policy.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
"Your brother and I are busy with high finance."
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
It also has prompted women to question their finances and prenups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
The city of Arcadia wrote in a public statement after she resigned that “no city finances, staff or decision-making processes were involved” in the charges against her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
In the podcast, he praised Farage's media skills but said he had not dealt well with questions over his personal finances and needed to be better prepared.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
But his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party made little headway improving the country's finances, with galloping inflation, crippling debt and a feeble rupee undermining economic reform.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Alvin Hooks, the prosecutor—he appeared more nimble than ever in her presence—was keenly interested in Etta’s finances.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
But every other chip in the data center can be pointed at whatever model comes next, which is the assumption underneath the current depreciation schedules the AI buildout is financed on.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
In 2016, a Guggenheim compliance lawyer noticed that some of Walter’s personal investments appeared to be financed through ABS Capital, which was founded by two former Guggenheim executives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
You did two things with this special that were really important — you financed it yourself and you also shot it in the Twin Cities, where you live currently.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
In the beginning, this new movement was largely financed by a pair of Los Angeles oil magnates.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
This base had existed for some time, privately financed by interested parties.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
"If the political will and financing align, it is doable in the short term," Larochelle told AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
With public financing, they developed a pilot program to collect the runoff at a retired coal mine in Mount Storm.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
“While the hyperscalers are still using a large share of their cash reserves, they are increasingly scouring the globe for capital, both straight-up debt and increasingly intricate financing vehicles,” Azhar said in a Substack post.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
The consortium was tasked with designing, building and financing the project, and operating and maintaining the people mover for 25 years after its completion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
But though financing is the key, other elements are no less important.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
