adjective
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of or relating to money or currency
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of or relating to monetarism
a monetary policy
Related Words
See financial.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of monetary
First recorded in 1660–70; from Late Latin monētārius “pertaining to the mint”; see money, -ary
Explanation
If it has to do with money or currency, it’s monetary, like your childhood toy collection that has no monetary value, but you love it nonetheless. The adjective monetary is related to a Latin word that means “mint,” which is not just a refreshing gum or ice cream flavor but, in this case, where money is made. Anything that pertains to money can be described as monetary, like a country whose monetary system consists of metal coins of different denominations or an antiques expert who can tell you the monetary value of the old things in our attic.
Vocabulary lists containing monetary
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
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Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1933), List 1
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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.
If Warsh ends up too dovish, which would be hard to do given that monetary policy is decided by committee, real yields will fall, weighing on the dollar.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
Bank balance sheets now are in better shape, the world’s advanced economies are less oil-intensive and monetary frameworks are “more credible” than 50 years ago, they added.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
Taylor said those moves have added to the restrictiveness of the BOE’s monetary policy.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
The support included a "dedicated fund to provide direct monetary assistance".
From BBC • May 21, 2026
Many of the states that do authorize some monetary aid severely limit the amount of compensation.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
