Dollar Meaning, Examples, and Common Usage

Meaning 1：main monetary unit (dollar)

dollar 🔊

/ˈdɑːlər/

The basic unit of money in countries like the USA, Canada, and Australia, equal to 100 cents.

Close-up of a US one-dollar bill on a wooden table

main monetary unit 🔊

➕

/meɪn ˈmʌnɪtəri ˈjuːnɪt/

The primary unit of money used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and several other countries, subdivided into 100 cents.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From German 'Taler', short for 'Joachimsthaler', named after the silver mine in Joachimsthal (now Jáchymov).

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'Doll' + 'ar' – imagine a doll holding a dollar bill, reminding you of money.

📖 Example

I need to save up fifty dollars to buy that new video game. 🔊 I need to save up fifty dollars to buy that new video game.

🔗 Collocations

dollar bill – A piece of paper money worth one dollar

dollar sign – The symbol $ used to represent the dollar

US dollar – The official currency of the United States

🔄 Synonyms

currency (n.) – A system of money in general use in a particular country

greenback (n.) – Informal term for a US dollar note, especially from the 19th century

buck (n.) – Slang for one dollar

🚫 Antonyms

euro (n.) – The official currency of the Eurozone, a different monetary unit

yen (n.) – The official currency of Japan, a different monetary unit

pound (n.) – The official currency of the United Kingdom, a different monetary unit

🌱 Derivatives

dollarization (n.) – The process of adopting the US dollar as the official currency

dollarless (adj.) – Having no dollars

dollarwise (adv.) – In terms of dollars or money

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'dollar' originates from 16th-century Bohemian silver coins called 'Joachimsthaler', later shortened to 'Taler'. English adopted it as 'dollar', and the U.S. adopted it as official currency in 1785.