finance

1 of 2

noun

fi·​nance fə-ˈnan(t)s How to pronounce finance (audio)
ˈfī-ˌnan(t)s,
fī-ˈnan(t)s How to pronounce finance (audio)
1
finances plural : money or other liquid resources of a government, business, group, or individual
The library closed due to a lack of finances.
2
: the system that includes the circulation of money, the granting of credit, the making of investments, and the provision of banking facilities
3
: the science or study of the management of funds
An expert in finance predicts a global recession.
4
: the obtaining of funds or capital : financing
business expansion for which finance would otherwise be unavailableF. D. Roosevelt

finance

2 of 2

verb

financed; financing

transitive verb

1
a
: to raise or provide funds or capital for
finance a new house
b
: to furnish with necessary funds
finance a son through college
2
: to sell something to on credit

Examples of finance in a Sentence

Noun She's taking a course on personal finance. an expert in finance who predicts global economic disaster The library closed due to a lack of finances. Verb His parents financed his college education. The study was financed by a government grant. They financed him to study abroad.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This is the web version of CFO Daily, a newsletter on the trends and individuals shaping corporate finance. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 Lawson cited the city's strained finances as one reason for declining to do that, as well as the fact that the city came into compliance with three specific issues that prompted the contempt motion while the motion was pending. Paul Egan, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 Another argument suggests that this anonymity was intentional, as the core idea behind Bitcoin is to promote decentralized finance. Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 The city has struggled to retain a finance director and currently doesn’t have one. Jennifer Edwards Baker, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024 With nations still bound together by trade, technology and finance, globalization should be reformed, not abandoned, the report concluded. David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Nautical metaphors are nothing new for the world of commerce — trade, finance and the joint-stock company can all trace their roots to seafaring merchants engaged in risky adventures to haul holds full of goods across the world in capital-intensive ships. Sam Dean, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Metro Bank spent the final months of 2023 securing a rescue deal that shored up confidence in its shares and finances. Leonard Kehnscherper, Fortune Europe, 13 Mar. 2024 CPAs often hold strategic positions in corporate finance departments and consulting firms. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024
Verb
The company will look to tap into tax credits, European incentives and brands to finance content. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 The development would be financed through a local lender, personal savings and possible city funding resources, the report said. Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2024 The majority of loans for new vehicles financed through a dealer range from 67 to 84 months, according to Edmunds. Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Perhaps the public’s sense of entitlement to the royals’ whereabouts hints at a different belief: If British citizens are partially financing their lifestyles through their taxes, the royals owe them frequent glimpses of that life in return. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024 Recommended Earlier on March 11, Mr. Blinken announced an additional $100 million to finance the deployment of a multinational force to Haiti. Dánica Coto and Evens Sanon, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2024 Blinken announced an additional $100 million to finance the deployment of a multinational force to Haiti. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 The bank in 2021 announced a $1 trillion target to finance initiatives to help foster the transition to a low-carbon economy. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 Musk initially helped found and finance OpenAI in December 2015 as a response to Google, the embodiment of a dominant closed-source AI company. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'finance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French finances, going back to Middle French, "monetary resources, revenue," in singular, "money, resource," from finer "to pay by way of settlement, make a payment" (derivative of fin "final agreement, payment, fine entry 3") + -ance -ance

Note: In the current senses, finance is borrowed directly from French, though the word existed in English with early senses going back to medieval French; cf. Middle English fynaunce "ending, outcome, monetary payment, ransom," borrowed from Anglo-French in these senses.

Verb

derivative of finance entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1783, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of finance was in 1656

Dictionary Entries Near finance

Cite this Entry

“Finance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finance. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

finance

1 of 2 noun
fi·​nance fə-ˈnan(t)s How to pronounce finance (audio) ˈfī-ˌnan(t)s How to pronounce finance (audio)
fī-ˈnan(t)s
1
plural : resources (as money) available to a government, person, group, or business
2
: the obtaining or providing of funds or capital
3
: the system that includes the circulation of money, the providing of banks and credit, and the making of investments
financial
fə-ˈnan-chəl
fī-
adjective
financially
-ˈnanch-(ə-)lē
adverb

finance

2 of 2 verb
financed; financing
: to provide money for
finance a trip

Legal Definition

finance

1 of 2 noun
fi·​nance
1
plural : money or other liquid resources of a government, business, group, or individual
2
: the system that includes the circulation of money, the granting of credit, the making of investments, and the provision of banking facilities
3
: the science or study of the management of funds
4
: the obtaining of funds or capital : financing

finance

2 of 2 transitive verb
financed; financing
1
a
: to raise or provide funds or capital for
finance a takeover
b
: to furnish with necessary funds
2
: to sell something to on credit

More from Merriam-Webster on finance

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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