coin of the realm
1
7.5
- idiom
:
moneda de curso
- In modern business, adaptability is the coin of the realm for success.
- become the coin of the realm
So that's the coin of the realm in negotiation.
- So that's the coin of the realm in negotiation.
- That's what I thought the real coin of the realm was.
Examples
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In the academy, theory becomes the coin of the realm:
Academic text (2009) -
The coin of the realm in scholarly communications has been citations, in particular journal citations, and that is the primary metric against which scholarly output has been measured.
Blog text (20) -
That's what I thought the real coin of the realm was.
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So that's the coin of the realm in negotiation.
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When it comes to scholarship, fairness is a coin of the realm.
Academic text (2016) -
And the coin of the realm online is inbound traffic, which is hard to get without someone promoting and linking back to you.
Blog text (20) -
Postmodernism and postcolonialism are the current coin of the realm in the relatively new field of cultural studies.
Academic text (2009) -
When I was in Congress, trust was the coin of the realm and that coin is severely tarnished, intraparty as well as inter party.
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The coalition's and the Afghan government's public criticism of each other should stop; constructive talks based on mutual interests should be the coin of the realm.
Academic text (2011) -
In today's digital age, being proficient in coding is the coin of the realm for job seekers.
Synonyms
35
3.3
Being widely accepted or used at a particular time
9
4.7
The most valuable part of a business, like a product or division
2
3.9
A thing many people in a group accept or value
2
4.9
The most valuable or important part of a group
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase uses a clear metaphor: 'coin' as currency/value and 'realm' as a domain, so the composite can be interpreted as 'what counts as currency (i.e. value or accepted standard) within that domain.' This meaning is metaphorical and somewhat literary, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents could plausibly infer the sense but may still find it non-obvious without some exposure.
Etymology
The expression coin of the realm may come from the idea that only the ruler's official coin was used in a realm, or 'kingdom'. So today, the phrase means something people highly value or widely accept.