spending money

American

noun

money for small personal expenses.

spending money British

noun

an allowance for small personal expenses; pocket money

"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 spending money

First recorded in 1590–1600

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.

As the price of fuel and essentials stays high, it seems people are getting pickier about spending money on a day out.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Chief among the locals' complaints is that the tourists are not spending money in the area -- they simply show up, snap their selfies and leave.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

About those issues you have with spending money: The perils of buying furniture online are not exclusive to people who are difficult to please through no fault of their own.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

We want to use our limited spending money and free time in ways that feel more rewarding.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

I have forty dollars left over from my vacation spending money.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

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