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Showing results for "pence"

pence

American  
[pens] / pɛns /

noun

British.
  1. a plural of penny; used in referring to a sum of money rather than to the coins themselves (often used in combination).

    sixpence; The fare was 15 pence.


pence British  
/ pɛns /

noun

  1. a plural of penny

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

Since the decimalization of British currency and the introduction of the abbreviation p, as in 10p, 85p, etc, the abbreviation has tended to replace pence in speech, as in 4p ˌfɔːˈpiː , 12p ˌtwɛlvˈpiː , etc

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of pence

1275–1325; Middle English pens, pans

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.

See Examples For:

BHP’s London shares rise 0.4% to 3,256 pence.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 19, 2026

Shares are up 0.7% at 354 pence and have climbed 21% over the year to date.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 14, 2026

This reduces downside risk for Aviva’s Direct Line, and increases confidence in the insurer reaching 75 pence earnings per share in 2028, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 13, 2026

Both come at a premium to Bodycote’s share-price lows, but the valuation of the U.K. industrial company could be above 1,000 pence a share—or 1.7 billion pounds—under a blue-sky scenario, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 6, 2026

I was inevitably short more than a few pence each month.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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