as in cash
something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment
coins and bills are considered legal tender, but postage stamps are not
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Recent Examples of legal tender
World & Nation How a California surfer helped bring bitcoin to El Salvador
June 22, 2021
There were street protests when the Congress made bitcoin legal tender in June 2021, though that move was not the only motivation for the protesters.
—
Marcos Alemán, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
The slow but steady march of crypto products into mainstream financial systems — El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021 — has piqued broader interest in the subject.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 19 Oct. 2024
Countries like El Salvador and regions with economic instability increasingly turn to bitcoin as legal tender or reserve asset.
—Susie Violet Ward, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024
In June 2019, the government recognized the RTGS dollar as legal tender and rechristened it the new Zimbabwean dollar, while at the same time barring the use of the U.S. dollar.
—Tendai Biti, Foreign Affairs, 20 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for legal tender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legal tender
Noun
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At Marathon, Elliott helped facilitate the addition of a new director, transition to a new CEO, closure of the gap in per barrel EBITDA with VLO, retirement of 50% of its shares outstanding since 2021, and sale of the Speedway retail operation for $17 billion in after-tax cash proceeds.—
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Past leaders left us with underfunded pensions, reckless borrowing and asset sales that prioritized short-term cash over long-term stability.—
Noun
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But professional and personal challenges preceded the LP's success: In 1998, the Backstreet Boys left their management group and were entangled in a lawsuit with businessman Lou Pearlman over the amount of money earned for their first two albums.—
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When people can hold, trade and invest in these tools with micro-amounts of money, the gap between the haves and have-nots begins to shrink.—
Noun
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Coining a Malady Ancient Greeks made their coins by extracting silver from lead-rich ore.—
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Singapore’s Monetary Authority stopped issuing one-cent coins from April 2002, though existing one-cent coins remain legal tender.—
Noun
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In the last few months, the digital currency attained fresh, all-time highs on anticipation surrounding the policy changes that could materialize as a result of U.S. President Donald Trump securing reelection and the Republicans taking control of both the House and Senate.—
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If the ruble stayed at the current level, the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Russia may have to take action to weaken it, such as through a temporary decrease in foreign currency sales.—
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Cite this Entry
“Legal tender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legal%20tender. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
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