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Webster 1913 Edition


Currency

Cur′ren-cy

(k?r′r?n-c?)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Currencies
(-s[GREEK]z)
.
[Cf. LL.
currentia
a current, fr. L.
currens
, p. pr. of
currere
to run. See
Current
.]
1.
A continued or uninterrupted course or flow like that of a stream;
as, the
currency
of time
.
[Obs.]
Ayliffe.
2.
The state or quality of being current; general acceptance or reception; a passing from person to person, or from hand to hand; circulation;
as, a report has had a long or general
currency
; the
currency
of bank notes
.
3.
That which is in circulation, or is given and taken as having or representing value;
as, the
currency
of a country; a specie
currency
; esp., government or bank notes circulating as a substitute for metallic money
.
4.
Fluency; readiness of utterance.
[Obs.]
5.
Current value; general estimation; the rate at which anything is generally valued.
He . . . takes greatness of kingdoms according to their bulk and
currency
, and not after intrinsic value.
Bacon.
The bare name of Englishman . . . too often gave a transient
currency
to the worthless and ungrateful.
W. Irving.

Webster 1828 Edition


Currency

CURRENCY

,
Noun.
[See Current.]
1.
Literally, flowing, running or passing; a continued or uninterrupted course, like that of a stream; as the currency of time.
2.
A continued course in public opinion, belief or reception; a passing from person to person, or from age to age; a, a report has had a long or general currency.
3.
A continual passing from hand to hand, as coin or bills of credit; circulation; as the currency of cents, or of English crowns; the currency of bank bills or treasury notes.
4.
Fluency; readiness of utterance; but in this sense we generally use fluency.
5.
General estimation; the rate at which any thing is generally valued.
He takes greatness of kingdoms according to their bulk and currency, and not after intrinsic value.
6.
That which is current or in circulation, as a medium of trade. The word may be applied to coins, or to bills issued by authority. It is often applied to bank notes, and to notes issued by government.

Definition 2024


currency

currency

English

Noun

currency (countable and uncountable, plural currencies)

  1. Money or other items used to facilitate transactions.
    Wampum was used as a currency by Amerindians.
  2. (more specifically) Paper money.
    • 1943, William Saroyan, The Human Comedy, chapter 3,
      Spangler went through his pockets, coming out with a handful of small coins, one piece of currency and a hard-boiled egg.
  3. The state of being current; general acceptance or recognition.
    The jargon’s currency.
  4. (obsolete) fluency; readiness of utterance
  5. (obsolete) Current value; general estimation; the rate at which anything is generally valued.
    He [] takes greatness of kingdoms according to their bulk and currency, and not after intrinsic value. Francis Bacon.
    The bare name of Englishman [] too often gave a transient currency to the worthless and ungrateful. W. Irving.

Derived terms

  • (economics): fiat currency, closed currency, hard currency, metacurrency

Translations

See also

  • Category:Currency symbols