moneynoun (uncountable)
MUN-ee
A medium of exchange accepted by people in a society to pay for goods and services.
"She counted her money and realized she didn't have enough to pay the bill."
currencynoun
KUR-en-see
The official money used in a specific country or economic zone.
"The currency of Japan is the yen; the currency of the eurozone is the euro."
cashnoun (uncountable)
kash
Physical money in the form of notes and coins, as opposed to digital or card payments.
"Do you pay in cash or by card? Many shops now prefer card payments."
coinnoun
koyn
A small, flat, round piece of metal used as money.
"He found an old coin in his pocket from his last trip abroad."
note / billnoun
noht / bil
A printed piece of paper used as money. Called a "note" in British English and a "bill" in American English.
"She handed over a $50 bill and received change."
valuenoun / verb
VAL-yoo
The amount of money something is worth, or its importance and usefulness.
"The value of the property has doubled in ten years."
worthadjective / noun
wurth
Having a monetary or other value; the amount something deserves or can be exchanged for.
"This painting is worth $20,000." / "What is your net worth?"
pricenoun
prys
The amount of money you must pay to buy something.
"The price of oil fell sharply after the announcement."
costnoun / verb
kawst
The amount of money needed to buy or produce something.
"The cost of living in New York is very high." / "How much does it cost?"
barterverb / noun
BAR-ter
To exchange goods or services directly without using money.
"Before money existed, people would barter goods — trading grain for cattle."
exchangenoun / verb
eks-CHAYNJ
A trade or swap; to give something and receive something of equal value in return.
"The currency exchange rate determines how many euros you get for your dollars."
wagenoun
wayj
Money paid to an employee, typically calculated by the hour or day.
"The minimum wage in the US is $7.25 per hour at the federal level."
salarynoun
SAL-uh-ree
A fixed regular payment, typically monthly, for professional or office work.
"She earns a salary of $80,000 per year as a financial analyst."
incomenoun
IN-kum
Money received regularly from work, investments, or other sources.
"His income from freelance work has grown every year."
wealthnoun (uncountable)
welth
A large amount of money, assets, and resources owned by a person or group.
"Wealth inequality has increased significantly over the past 40 years."
povertynoun (uncountable)
POV-er-tee
The state of having very little money or few material possessions.
"One in ten people globally lives in extreme poverty."
commoditynoun
kuh-MOD-ih-tee
A raw material or primary product that can be bought and sold, such as gold, oil, or wheat.
"Gold is a commodity that has been used as money for thousands of years."
medium of exchangenoun phrase
MEE-dee-um uv eks-CHAYNJ
Anything generally accepted as payment for goods and services. One of the three functions of money.
"Money functions as a medium of exchange — it allows you to buy without needing something the seller specifically wants."
store of valuenoun phrase
stor uv VAL-yoo
An asset that maintains its purchasing power over time. One of the three functions of money.
"Gold is a store of value because it tends to hold its worth across centuries."
unit of accountnoun phrase
YOO-nit uv uh-KOWNT
A standard measure used to express and compare the prices of goods and services. One of the three functions of money.
"The dollar is a unit of account — we use it to compare the price of coffee with the price of a car."
fiat moneynoun phrase
FEE-at MUN-ee
Money that has value because a government declares it legal tender, not because it is backed by a physical commodity like gold.
"All major currencies today are fiat money — the US dollar is not backed by gold."
purchasing powernoun phrase
PUR-chus-ing POW-er
The quantity of goods and services that one unit of money can buy.
"Inflation erodes purchasing power — the same $100 buys less every year."
denominationnoun
deh-nom-ih-NAY-shun
The face value of a coin, banknote, or financial instrument.
"The $100 bill is the largest denomination of US currency in common circulation."
transactionnoun
tran-ZAK-shun
An instance of buying or selling; an exchange of money for goods or services.
"The transaction was declined because there were insufficient funds in the account."
legal tendernoun phrase
LEE-gul TEN-der
Currency that must be accepted as payment by law within a given country.
"US dollar bills are legal tender for all debts, public and private."