What does monetary mean?
Monetary is an adjective meaning that something concerns money, currency, or financial value. It is widely used in economics, public policy, commerce, and finance, particularly in expressions about monetary policy, monetary values, and monetary systems. In this sense, it is more specific than financial: a monetary question concerns currency, prices, payments, or the supply of money, whereas a financial question may also concern investments, banking, or a person’s overall finances. Monetary can describe an amount or asset in terms of its monetary value, and it often carries a formal, institutional tone. The adjective is especially common in discussion of central banks, inflation, interest rates, and government economic management. Because money is the standard measure of economic value, the term helps writers distinguish questions about money itself from other financial matters. It is also useful in legal and commercial writing, where specifying monetary loss or monetary value is precise and informative.
adjectiveRelating to money or currency; involving financial value, payments, or economic policy.
- Relating to money, currency, financial value, or the use of money in economic activity.
"The central bank introduced tighter monetary policy to control rising inflation."
"The central bank introduced tighter monetary policy to control rising inflation."
"The damaged artwork was difficult to assess in purely monetary terms."
Monetary traces back to Latin moneta, the same root that gave us the words money and mint.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of monetary
Monetary entered English in the early 17th century from French monétaire, which came from Late Latin monetarius, a word derived from Latin moneta, meaning “mint, coin, or money.” The same Latin root gave rise to English words such as money and mint and later contributed to forms such as monetize.
Related word forms
How monetary is actually used
Formal and specialized, especially common in economics, finance, public policy, law, and commerce. It focuses specifically on money, currency, and value rather than on financial matters in general.
Easily confused with monetary
Monetary concerns money and currency, whereas monitory means giving a warning or caution.