Foreign Currency: Definition, Examples & Usage

Meaning 1：money from other countries (foreign currency)

foreign currency 🔊

/ˈfɒrɪn ˈkʌrənsi/

Money from other countries, used when traveling or trading internationally.

Traveler holding foreign currency banknotes at airport exchange counter

money from other countries 🔊

➕

/ˈmʌni frəm ˈʌðər ˈkʌntriz/

Banknotes and coins issued by a government or central bank of a country other than one's own, used for international travel, trade, or investment.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

'Foreign' from Latin 'foris' (outside) + 'currency' from Latin 'currere' (to run), meaning 'running current'.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a 'foreign' king with a 'current' of coins from another land flowing into your pocket.

📖 Example

Before my trip to Europe, I visited the bank to get some foreign currency. 🔊 Before my trip to Europe, I visited the bank to get some foreign currency.

🔗 Collocations

exchange foreign currency – to convert one country's money into another's

foreign currency reserves – foreign money held by a central bank

foreign currency transaction – a financial deal involving money from another country

🔄 Synonyms

foreign money (n.) – money from another country

foreign exchange (n.) – the conversion or trading of different currencies

alien currency (n.) – a less common term for foreign currency

🚫 Antonyms

domestic currency (n.) – the money of one's own country

local currency (n.) – currency used in a specific region or country

national currency (n.) – the official currency of a nation

📖 Cultural Story

The term 'currency' originates from the Latin 'currere', describing money as flowing in trade. 'Foreign currency' gained prominence during the rise of international trade in the 19th century.