currency Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the metal or paper medium of exchange that is presently used
  2. noun general acceptance or use
    • the currency of ideas
  3. noun the property of belonging to the present time
    currentness; up-to-dateness.
    • the currency of a slang term

WordNet

Cur"ren*cy noun
Etymology
Cf. LL. currentia a current, fr. L. currens, p. pr. of currere to run. See Current.
Wordforms
plural Currencies
Definitions
  1. A continued or uninterrupted course or flow like that of a sream; 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 1913