follow Dictionary.com

currency

[kur-uh n-see, kuhr-] /ˈkɜr ən si, ˈkʌr-/
noun, plural currencies.
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.
Origin
Medieval Latin
1650-1660
1650-60; < Medieval Latin currentia. See current, -ency
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2014.
Cite This Source
Examples from the web for currency
  • Bags of gold, silver, and paper currency arrived here by horse-drawn vans and were carted upstairs to the vaults.
  • But often there is something amiss when a middle-income country has such a rich currency.
  • The currency of higher education is defined by intellectual objectives.
  • It can raise suspicions at customs and you'll get ripped off by a currency exchange.
  • Prices are not real high relative to historic pricing when adjusted for inflation and currency fluctuations.
  • To a scientist credibility is more valuable than currency.
  • All of which are the currency of interconnectedness.
  • The vast influx of gold and silver was no different than the inflation of a fiat currency.
  • But, as of yet, there is no sign of a general rush to trade protectionism or to beggar-thy-neighbor currency policies.
  • In our culture of hype, the currency of praise has been so de-valued that no one credits it, even when deserved.
British Dictionary definitions for currency

currency

/ˈkʌrənsɪ/
noun (pl) -cies
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.
(Austral) (formerly) the local medium of exchange, esp in the colonies, as distinct from sterling
6.
(Austral, slang)
  1. (formerly) the native-born Australians, as distinct from the British immigrants
  2. (as modifier): a currency lad
Word Origin
C17: from Medieval Latin currentia, literally: a flowing, from Latin currere to run, flow
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
Cite This Source
Word Origin and History for currency
n.

1650s, "condition of flowing," from Latin currens, present participle of currere "to run" (see current (adj.)); the sense of a flow or course extended 1699 (by John Locke) to "circulation of money."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
currency in Culture

currency definition


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

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Slang definitions & phrases for currency

currency

Related Terms

soft money


The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.
Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.
Cite This Source

Word of the Day

Difficulty index for currency

Most English speakers likely know this word

Word Value for currency

15
18
Scrabble Words With Friends

Quotes with currency

More Quotes

Related Words

Nearby words for currency