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Synonyms

foreign exchange

American  
[fawr-in iks-cheynj, for-] / ˈfɔr ɪn ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ, ˈfɒr- /

noun

  1. commercial paper drawn on a person or corporation in a foreign nation. FX

  2. the process of balancing accounts in commercial transactions between business organizations of different nations. FX

foreign exchange British  

noun

  1. the system by which one currency is converted into another, enabling international transactions to take place without the physical transportation of gold

  2. foreign bills and currencies

"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
foreign exchange Cultural  

  1. The ways in which debts between two nations that use different currencies are paid. Foreign exchange rates can have an important effect on a nation's economy, because the value of its currency in other countries affects the cost of both imported and exported goods and services. (See balance of payments.)

Etymology

Origin of foreign exchange

First recorded in 1685–95

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.

The currency, which has lost more than 97% of its value since 2018, would also likely suffer without the foreign exchange coming in.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

With the financial situation already strained, the government is also worried that they will lose foreign exchange inflows due to the Gulf war.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

The Swiss drugmaker has flagged a 9% hit on sales from foreign exchange in the first quarter, moderating to 4% for the year as a whole if current rates are maintained, according to UBS.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

According to recent data from the AfDB, the currencies of 29 African countries have already depreciated, increasing the cost of servicing external debt, making imports more expensive and reducing foreign exchange reserves,

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

“These are María’s very good friends. They met two summers ago when María did a high school foreign exchange program in Berlin. That girl has tremendous ambitions. All three of them.”

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

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.