adjective
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of or relating to money or currency
-
of or relating to monetarism
a monetary policy
Related Words
See financial.
Other Word Forms
- monetarily adverb
- nonmonetary adjective
- premonetary adjective
- unmonetary adjective
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.
In that note, Barclays analysts examined the case for using prediction markets as a tool for measuring risk that stems from the Fed’s monetary policy.
From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026
Yet this is precisely where the current monetary policy framework fails.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
Within the queer performance scene, she said, drag kings have often received little recognition, fewer opportunities and less monetary gain despite contributing greatly to the art form and the LGBTQ+ community.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
The bank’s monetary committee, or Copom, cut the Selic benchmark lending rate to 14.5% from 14.75%.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 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.
