token

American  

[toh-kuhn] / ˈtoʊ kən /

noun

1. something serving to represent or indicate some fact, event, feeling, etc.; sign.

   Black is a token of mourning.

2. a characteristic indication or mark of something; evidence or proof.

   Malnutrition is a token of poverty.

3. a memento; souvenir; keepsake.

   The seashell was a token of their trip.

4. something used to indicate authenticity, authority, etc.; emblem; badge.

   Judicial robes are a token of office.

5. Also called token coin.  a stamped piece of metal, issued as a limited medium of exchange, as for bus fares, at a nominal value much greater than its commodity value.

6. anything of only nominal value used in exchange for goods or services, as paper currency.

7. virtual token.

8. an item, idea, etc., representing a group; a part as representing the whole; sample; indication.

   The religious movement was an exhibition of latent energy, and a token of what may take place at some future day.

9. a person, especially a member of a minority group, who has been hired, admitted, enrolled, etc., to forestall charges of prejudice or discrimination.

10. an object, as a disk or figure, used in various board games for marking a player's position or for keeping score.

11. Logic, Linguistics. a particular instance of a word, symbol, expression, sentence, or the like.

    A printed page might have twenty tokens of the single type-word “and.”

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verb (used with object)

1. to be a token of; signify; symbolize.

adjective

1. serving as a token.

   At the end of the field trip each child received a token gift to take home as a memento.

   The HR complaint was filed by a man who felt his hiring had been meant to add a token male to an all-female staff.

   Synonyms:

   symbolic

2. slight; nominal; minimal.

   token resistance;

   a token amount.

idioms

1. by the same token,

   1. moreover; furthermore.

      She has a talent as a painter, and by the same token has a sharp eye for detail.

   2. in proof of which.

      The study examined the possible effects of stress on health and, by the same token, IQ and test scores.

2. in token of, as a sign of; in evidence of.

   a ring in token of his love.

token British  

/ ˈtəʊkən /

noun

1. an indication, warning, or sign of something

2. a symbol or visible representation of something

3. something that indicates authority, proof, or authenticity

4. a metal or plastic disc, such as a substitute for currency for use in slot machines

5. a memento

6. a gift voucher that can be used as payment for goods of a specified value

7. (modifier) as a matter of form only; nominal

   a token increase in salary

8. linguistics a symbol regarded as an individual concrete mark, not as a class of identical symbols Compare type

9. philosophy an individual instance: if the same sentence has different truth-values on different occasions of utterance the truth-value may be said to attach to the sentence-token Compare type

10. moreover and for the same or a similar reason

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verb

1. (tr) to act or serve as a warning or symbol of; betoken

token More Idioms  

1. see by the same token; in token of.

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Other Word Forms

• pretoken
  noun

Etymology

Origin of token

First recorded before 900; Middle English token(e), tokin(e), Old English tāc(e)n, tācon; cognate with German Zeichen, Old Norse teikn, tākn “sign, mark”; see teach

Explanation

When you give someone a flower or a friendship bracelet or something symbolic of the way you feel about them, you're giving them a token of your affection. A token is not only something sentimental (like a keepsake) or symbolic (like your friendship bracelet). You, yourself, can also be a token: If you're the only female in your office, for instance, and you were hired just so there'd be at least one woman, then you're the "token female." Tokens can also be a kind of special currency, like the coins you use in slot machines. Before the Metro Card, New York City subway riders paid their fares with tokens.

Example Sentences

More than 50 boats taking part in the GSF set sail from Turkey last Thursday carrying a token amount of aid.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

The flotilla, which carried a token amount of aid, set out to highlight the tough conditions for Palestinians in war-torn Gaza.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

Interest in the token is strong enough that ETF companies 21shares and Bitwise recently launched ETFs that offered direct exposure.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

“That should be Polymarket’s responsibility, not some outsourced, third-party, mysterious, anonymous token holders,” Carter said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

“Of course not, Keris. You’ve never failed me before. As a token of my faith in you, I’ve brought you another gift.”

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Related Words

• badge
• expression
• manifestation
• memento
• proof
• souvenir
• symbol