paper money

American  

noun

1. currency in paper form, such as government and bank notes, as distinguished from metal currency.

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paper money British  

noun

1. paper currency issued by the government or the central bank as legal tender and which circulates as a substitute for specie

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Etymology

Origin of paper money

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

paper money

“Commercial paper, money markets, corporate credit, municipal finance, you name it, he addressed the whole ecosystem within days. That was not luck. That was judgment and resolve under extraordinary pressure,” Hutchins said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

Would an infusion of paper money not, at least, have softened the price-chopping transition to steam from sail, to rails from horses and to machinery from manpower?

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

The new appeal came as US media reported a backpack thought to belong to the suspect recovered near the scene contained a Tommy Hilfiger jacket and paper money from the board game Monopoly.

From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2024

Most vendors refuse to accept worn-out paper money, he explains, and coins have fared little better.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2024

There was no sign of any paper money at all.

From "Trouble at the Arcade (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #1)" by Franklin W. Dixon