paper money

American

noun

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

paper money British

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of paper money

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

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:

paper money

In March, the Treasury announced that US paper money would soon bear Trump's signature -- another first for a sitting US president.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

Quantitative easing, or the creation of new paper money with which to buy government securities, seems never to have entered Bagehot’s mind.

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

But it’s a banknote, paper money, and it’s torn.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023