adjective
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of or relating to money or currency
-
of or relating to monetarism
a monetary policy
Related Words
See financial.
Other Word Forms
- monetarily adverb
- nonmonetary adjective
- premonetary adjective
- unmonetary adjective
Etymology
Origin of monetary
First recorded in 1660–70; from Late Latin monētārius “pertaining to the mint”; see money, -ary
Explanation
If it has to do with money or currency, it’s monetary, like your childhood toy collection that has no monetary value, but you love it nonetheless. The adjective monetary is related to a Latin word that means “mint,” which is not just a refreshing gum or ice cream flavor but, in this case, where money is made. Anything that pertains to money can be described as monetary, like a country whose monetary system consists of metal coins of different denominations or an antiques expert who can tell you the monetary value of the old things in our attic.
Vocabulary lists containing monetary
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
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Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1933), List 1
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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 response to Hormuz’s closure has to be about more than interest-rate settings and monetary conditions. Unless broad-reaching measures are taken, global prosperity is at risk.”
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
In that note, Barclays analysts examined the case for using prediction markets as a tool for measuring risk that stems from the Fed’s monetary policy.
From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026
Within the queer performance scene, she said, drag kings have often received little recognition, fewer opportunities and less monetary gain despite contributing greatly to the art form and the LGBTQ+ community.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
The bank’s monetary committee, or Copom, cut the Selic benchmark lending rate to 14.5% from 14.75%.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
He, like virtually all the others, worked in more than one field: he published on monetary reform as well as astronomy.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
