monetary

adjective

mon·​e·​tary ˈmä-nə-ˌter-ē 

also ˈmə-

: of or relating to money or to the mechanisms by which it is supplied to and circulates in the economy

a crime committed for monetary gain

a government's monetary policy

monetarily

ˌmä-nə-ˈter-ə-lē 

also ˌmə-

adverb

Synonyms of monetary

• financial
• economic
• fiscal

Examples of monetary in a Sentence

a crime committed for monetary gain

Gold was once the basis of the U.S. monetary system.

Recent Examples on the Web

Graeme Sloan | Bloomberg | Getty Images Warsh's views on what is and isn't monetary policy aren't fully clear. —Steve Liesman,matt Peterson, CNBC, 4 May 2026

Therefore, direct monetary interventions in this sector do not carry the same inflationary risks as broad cash distributions. —Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026

The case will be heard by a state administrative law judge, who will provide a recommendation to Lara on a possible monetary penalty and whether to carry out the license suspension. —Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026

But a spokesperson for the campaign did not respond to follow-up questions about the in-kind contributions, which are non-monetary donations of goods or services. —Matthew Kelly may 1, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin monetarius of a mint, of money, from Latin moneta

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing monetary

• monetary aggregate
• monetary unit

Rhymes for monetary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

monetary

adjective

mon·​e·​tary ˈmän-ə-ˌter-ē 

also ˈmən-

: of or relating to money

this administration's monetary policy