legal tender

noun

1. currency that may be lawfully tendered in payment of a debt, such as paper money, Federal Reserve notes, or coins.

legal tender

noun

1. currency in specified denominations that a creditor must by law accept in redemption of a debt

legal tender

1. Any form of money that a government decrees must be accepted in payment of debts.

Word History and Origins

Origin of legal tender¹

First recorded in 1730–40