monetization

American  

[mon-i-tahy-zey-shuhn, muhn-] / ˌmɒn ɪˌtaɪˈzeɪ ʃən, ˌmʌn- /

especially British, monetisation

noun

1. the act or process of making an income from something that otherwise would not generate revenue.

   The benefits of a partnership with us include web content monetization through advertising, promotions, and user subscriptions.

2. Economics. the act or process of converting a debt, especially the national debt, into currency, as by issuing government bonds or printing more money.

   Observers of the continuous monetization of U.S. debt cannot avoid concern about the dollar's value as the supply of ever more dollars pours out of the Federal Reserve.

3. the act of converting gold, diamonds, or other precious commodities to money; liquidation.

   Another option is the monetization of gold—investors can park their stash of gold with banks, which will turn it into a monetary deposit.

4. the act of designating a particular metal for use as currency.

   In India, the monetization of silver to replace cowrie shells is less than a thousand years old.

5. the act of converting an economy to the exchange of goods and services for money rather than barter or payment in kind.

   With the monetization of the economy and the stagnation of agriculture, peasants were forced to sell their land.

---

Etymology

Origin of monetization

First recorded in 1855–60; Latin monēt(a) “coinage, money” + -ization ( def. ); mint ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Microsoft is rolling out its own AI tools, but some investors were hoping to see more monetization momentum there by now.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

While the key competitive factor for AI agents in China currently lies in ecosystem strength, the monetization model for consumer AI assistants globally remains unclear, Third Bridge analyst Jamie Chen said in a commentary.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

There are some early signs of the shift toward monetization.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

The analyst cited ServiceNow’s core business stability, quality margins, and credible artificial intelligence monetization growth.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

Let us see whether monetization does, or does not, create value.

From The Arena Volume 18, No. 93, August, 1897 by Various