currency

[ kur-uhn-see, kuhr- ]

noun

, plural cur·ren·cies.

1. something that is used as a medium of exchange; money.
2. general acceptance; prevalence; vogue.
3. a time or period during which something is widely accepted and circulated.
4. the fact or quality of being widely accepted and circulated from person to person.
5. circulation, as of coin.

currency

/ ˈkʌrənsɪ /

noun

1. a metal or paper medium of exchange that is in current use in a particular country
2. general acceptance or circulation; prevalence

   the currency of ideas

3. the period of time during which something is valid, accepted, or in force
4. the act of being passed from person to person
5. (formerly) the local medium of exchange, esp in the colonies, as distinct from sterling
6. slang.
   1. (formerly) the native-born Australians, as distinct from the British immigrants
   2. ( as modifier )

      a currency lad

currency

1. Any form of money in actual use as a medium of exchange.

Word History and Origins

Origin of currency¹

From the Medieval Latin word currentia, dating back to 1650–60. See current, -ency

Word History and Origins

Origin of currency¹

C17: from Medieval Latin currentia, literally: a flowing, from Latin currere to run, flow

Example Sentences

They are able to move through obscure currencies, but eventually they end in the same spot, which is moving it back to Bitcoin and through the over-the-counter market.

From MIT Technology Review

Another approach, called “chain hopping,” moves the money through different cryptocurrencies and blockchains to get it away from Bitcoin—where every transaction is posted to a public ledger—and into other, more private currencies.

From MIT Technology Review

Projects like Libra and, especially, the digital yuan also pose significant privacy risks, as the networks on which the currencies travel can also track who is spending money and where.

From Fortune

The Mastercard initiative comes at a time of growing interest in digital currency among central banks.

From Fortune

The digital currency itself is just a small part of this ideal world.

From MIT Technology Review

Then the gift card is shopped online in a gray market to collect cold currency.

From The Daily Beast

Russia depends on oil exports for almost 70 percent of its foreign-currency earnings and almost 50 percent of its annual budget.

From The Daily Beast

At currency auctions, it traded at around 64.45 rubles to the dollar and 78.8 to the euro.

From The Daily Beast

Currency problems are procyclical, which is to say that they create their own momentum.

From The Daily Beast

The Arabs offered the Nazis a haven, as well as a market for all their nefarious dealings in arms and black market currency.

From The Daily Beast

It stands at one extreme of our currency, with a dollar of gold set aside behind each dollar of paper.

From Project Gutenberg

Between these two extremes the Federal Reserve note, a new form of currency, has been introduced.

From Project Gutenberg

But the sheer quantity of the inflated currency and false money forces prices higher still.

From Project Gutenberg

That is, a demand for more currency in the hands of the public could have been supplied by the bank, but was not.

From Project Gutenberg

But in one respect the currency notes helped to maintain the country's gold standard.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cash