cash

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈkash How to pronounce cash (audio)
Synonyms of cashnext
1
: ready money
2
: money or its equivalent (such as a check) paid for goods or services at the time of purchase or delivery

cash

2 of 4

adjective

: being a method of accounting that includes as income only what has been received and as expenses only those paid compare accrual

cash

3 of 4

verb

cashed; cashing; cashes

transitive verb

1
: to pay or obtain cash for
cash a check
2
: to lead and win a bridge trick with (a card that is the highest remaining card of its suit)
cashable
ˈka-shə-bəl How to pronounce cash (audio)
adjective

cash

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural cash
1
: any of various coins of small value in China and southern India
especially : a Chinese coin with a square hole in the center
2
: a unit of value equivalent to one cash

Illustration of cash

Illustration of cash
  • 4cash 1

Synonyms

Noun (1)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of cash in a Sentence

Noun (1) went to the ATM to get more cash Verb The store wouldn't cash the check. He cashed his paycheck at the bank.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
There are plenty of companies buying houses for cash these days. — Kc Property Group, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2025 At the end of 2025, Manchester United would have run out of cash. — Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
However, later studies have found this effect between cards or mobile payment and cash becoming weaker with time, suggesting that this may be because consumers have become more used to non-cash payment methods. — Bill Hardekopf, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024 In 2025, account-to-account and real-time payments will displace cash in Europe and Latin America, especially in countries with younger populations who are open to non-cash payment methods. — Forrester, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Verb
This ticket will have to be cashed at either the Florida Lottery main office in Tallahassee or one of the district offices, which are open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025 Security video from the store shows lines of men waiting to have their checks cashed. — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cash

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

modification of Middle French or Old Italian; Middle French casse money box, from Old Italian cassa, from Latin capsa chest — more at case

Noun (2)

Portuguese caixa, from Tamil kācu, a small copper coin, from Sanskrit karṣa, a weight of gold or silver

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1622, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cash was in 1593

Phrases Containing cash

Rhymes for cash

See All Rhymes for cash

Browse Nearby Words

caseworm
cash
cash account
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cash. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

cash

1 of 2 noun
ˈkash How to pronounce cash (audio)
1
: money in the form of coins or bills
2
: money or its equivalent (as a check) paid for goods at the time of purchase or delivery

cash

2 of 2 verb
: to pay or obtain cash for
cash a check
Etymology

Noun

from early French casse or early Italian cassa, both meaning "money box," from Latin capsa "chest, box" — related to case entry 2

Legal Definition

cash

noun
1
: ready money
2
: money or its equivalent (as a check) paid for goods or services at the time of purchase or delivery

More from Merriam-Webster on cash

Nglish: Translation of cash for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All