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.
The only thing you’re able to write down is monetary.
From Slate • May 19, 2026
The lawsuit's plaintiffs, which include Trump's elder sons and the Trump Organization, will receive an apology, but no monetary compensation, the department said.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
The Justice Department said Blanche will appoint five people to oversee the fund and the Trumps "will receive a formal apology but no monetary payment or damages of any kind."
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Warsh has described himself as a student of Milton Friedman, the famed economist who said in 1963 that “inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon.”
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
People around the world heard about the jailed children and sent monetary donations to help pay their bail.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
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.
