lucre

American

[loo-ker] / ˈlu kər /

noun

monetary reward or gain; money.

lucre British

/ ˈluːkə /

noun

facetious money or wealth (esp in the phrase filthy lucre )

"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 lucre

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin lucrum profit; akin to Old English lēan reward, German Lohn, Gothic, Old Norse laun

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.

And he's making it very clear that he will not be happy if they don't come across with plenty of lucre to fill his royal coffers.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2024

We’re just spitballing alternative-history takes here while we await our bountiful tip-jar tax breaks and tariff lucre.

From Slate • Nov. 9, 2024

Attackers could include “hacktivists” seeking to make a political statement and cyberextortionists bent on lucre.

From Seattle Times • May 3, 2024

Even those devoted to the accumulation of lucre might discover how they can bring business skills to needy communities — at least that is the hoped-for outcome.

From New York Times • Jan. 5, 2023

Then she tried a child’s story, which she could easily have disposed of if she had not been mercenary enough to demand filthy lucre for it.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023