smart money
Americannoun
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money invested or wagered by experienced investors or bettors.
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such knowledgeable investors or bettors.
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Law. punitive or exemplary damages.
noun
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money bet or invested by experienced gamblers or investors, esp with inside information
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the gamblers or investors themselves
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money paid in order to extricate oneself from an unpleasant situation or agreement, esp from military service
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money paid by an employer to someone injured while working for him
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law damages awarded to a plaintiff where the wrong was aggravated by fraud, malice, etc
Etymology
Origin of smart money
First recorded in 1685–95
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.
That is why allocating a high percentage of shares to individual investors has historically been viewed as a sign that the smart money isn’t interested.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
But for the first time, it’s starting to look like smart money isn’t laughing at the idea anymore — it’s quietly sliding chips across the table.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2026
Those trades are often closely watched by market participants seeking to track the so-called smart money.
From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026
At the moment, the smart money is on Dame Antonia Romero - the current permanent secretary at the Home Office - getting the top job.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
No one knew what was going on inside Bear Stearns or Merrill Lynch or Citigroup, but these places had always been the smart money, ergo their bets must be the smart bets.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
