Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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.

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

Regardless of timing, Shin’s focus on global liquidity, foreign exchange and systemic risk signals a shift toward more internationally attuned policymaking at the BOK.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Managed futures funds forecast market trends by investing either long or short in futures contracts across a range of asset classes, including metals, soft commodities, foreign exchange, and U.S. bonds.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Earlier this month, the central bank suspended weekly repo auctions and launched a new lira-settled foreign exchange forwards facility to stem the fall in the lira.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 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.