monetize

American  

[mon-i-tahyz, muhn-] / ˈmɒn ɪˌtaɪz, ˈmʌn- /

especially British, monetise

verb (used with object)

monetized, monetizing

1. to legalize as money.

2. to coin into money.

   to monetize gold.

3. to give the character of money to.

4. Economics. to convert (a debt, especially the national debt) into currency, especially by issuing government securities or notes.

5. to make a profit or derive income from.

   Lots of people download the game, but the start-up hasn’t been able to monetize the add-on features.

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monetize British  

/ ˈmʌnɪˌtaɪz /

verb

1. to establish as the legal tender of a country

2. to give a legal value to (a coin)

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Other Word Forms

• monetization
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of monetize

First recorded in 1875–80; from Latin monēt(a) money + -ize

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Explanation

To monetize is to make money. If you write a popular blog, figure out how to monetize it so you don’t work for free. To monetize also means to establish a country's legal tender, as in to literally make money. The word money hides in monetize because it’s all about money. Establishing a new currency, or printing money, is what happens when a country monetizes, like when the European Union decided to monetize the Euro as its new currency. This verb is sometimes used to mean "exchange for money.” These days, monetize often refers to figuring out a way to make money from a website or app.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

monetize monetized monetizing

Walmart executives have long touted the potential to monetize the data it collects on the 280 million people who pass through its nearly 11,000 stores and digital channels each week in 19 countries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Google has been experimenting with different ad formats within AI surfaces, Flax told MarketWatch, and he believes the company will be able to effectively monetize those conversational queries in the long term.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026

There are also lingering concerns that Google may struggle to monetize its own large-language model Gemini and AI search tools to the degree it has traditional search.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Slower adoption could further complicate the search for revenue, particularly for companies already struggling to monetize the technology.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026

The chip sector comeback Monday reflects confidence in AI spending and the potential for companies to monetize their AI offerings, Brian Mulberry, chief market strategist at Zacks Investment Management, told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

But the company’s integration of AI tools into its search engine has been well received among users and hasn’t been fully monetized.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

In a statement, the Vulins said they were relieved by Thursday’s ruling but disappointed “the person who provoked this encounter with hate speech then filmed and monetized it, faces no consequences.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

The consensus view broadly has been that the Google parent’s search and cloud businesses have successfully monetized AI, making it a front-runner in the race for AI dominance.

From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026

It is curated, ranked, monetized and constantly optimized using first-party data that tracks what people watch, when they watch it and how they respond to ads.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026

We were just coming into an age where clicks were being measured and monetized.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Now, analysts are taking a closer look at specific parts of the hardware value chain, as well as the software platforms that are actually monetizing AI agents.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

If AI becomes less about building the next gigantic model and more about monetizing what already exists, the next opportunity may lie with the users of AI rather than its builders, she adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Apple is shifting its focus toward monetizing its expanding installed base in markets including India, Brazil and Mexico through greater adoption of higher-priced Pro-series models, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Meta shares fell and Microsoft rallied after sending very different signals on how they’re monetizing their massive AI outlays.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

The financing surprised investors because it came before the company reported second-quarter earnings, when plans for borrowing, AI capital expenditures and monetizing tend to be updated.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

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