1
: any of various former basic monetary units (as in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg)
2
the basic monetary unit of Switzerland and a number of especially sub-Saharan nations in Africa see Money Table

Examples of franc in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The large prize was not awarded, but the 5,000 francs were divided between four competitors. Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024 The fare itself is a bargain for the serene experience the timeless vessels afford: Adults ride for two Swiss francs, children for one. Sue Wunder, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Dec. 2023 The report showed Swiss luxury watch sales continued to be ruled by a handful of brands with more than 1 billion francs in annual sales. Andy Hoffman, Fortune Europe, 29 Feb. 2024 In similar cases in 2019, Chelsea served a ban in one trading window before winning its case on appeal, and Manchester City avoided a ban by paying FIFA a fine of 370,000 Swiss francs ($432,000) in 2019. Graham Dunbar, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024 Revenue reached 4 billion francs, topping the previous first half record hit in 2018. Andy Hoffman, Fortune, 13 July 2023 Breaking it down by price, luxury wrist candy costing over $3,480 (3,000 francs) generated 92 percent of export turnover, while watches with an export price of $232 (200 francs) or less accounted for 83 percent of the increase in volumes. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2024 Exports of watches priced between 500 francs and 3,000 francs fell by value, a possible sign that enthusiasts are becoming frustrated with aggressive price increases. Andy Hoffman, Fortune Europe, 8 Dec. 2023 During the third quarter, Equinix sold five-year bonds worth 300 million Swiss francs, or about $328 million, at a rate of 2.875%. Kristin Broughton, WSJ, 10 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'franc.' 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

French

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of franc was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near franc

Cite this Entry

“Franc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/franc. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

franc

noun
1
: the former basic unit of money of France and Belgium
2
: a basic unit of money (as of Switzerland)
3
: a coin representing one franc

More from Merriam-Webster on franc

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!