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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

  • penceless adjective

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.

The board declared a dividend of 150 pence a share for 2025, up from 130 pence a share a year earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal

The company’s board declared a final dividend of 7.5 pence a share, in line with its interim payout and down sharply from 24.4 pence a year before.

From The Wall Street Journal

It's a reminder that not all jewellery can be valued in pounds and pence.

From BBC

Harvest mice weigh the same as a 20 pence coin and are considered to be critically endangered in Scotland by the Mammal Society.

From BBC

S4 also said it plans to declare a dividend of 1 pence a share for the year, the same as a year earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal