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Glite Dictionary
fractional monetary unit

fractional monetary unit

7.1
A small coin or unit worth one hundredth of the main unit of money
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : unidad monetaria fraccionaria
  • The euro cent is the fractional monetary unit of the euro.

Examples

  • A penny is the fractional monetary unit of the British pound.

  • Many countries have a fractional monetary unit like cents.

  • In many countries, the fractional monetary unit is used for small transactions.

  • A fractional monetary unit is often used in pricing.

  • A penny is the fractional monetary unit of the British pound.

  • The euro cent is the fractional monetary unit of the euro.

  • In many countries, the fractional monetary unit is used for small transactions.

Synonyms

subunit
vsfractional monetary unit
5.5

A small money unit that is a fixed part of the main currency, like a cent

has identical meaning but is a more formal descriptive phrase

Surface Forms

fractional monetary unit singular
fractional monetary units plural

Morphology

fractional + monetary + unit

The meaning is directly and compositionally built from 'fractional' (relating to a fraction), 'monetary' (relating to money) and 'unit' (a defined measure), so a learner who knows those words can infer it denotes a smaller denomination of currency. Though somewhat technical, the phrase is literal and follows common cross-linguistic patterns for naming subunits, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The noun fractional monetary unit means a small part of a country's money: fractional means a small part and monetary unit means a unit of money. Imagine cutting one dollar into 100 tiny pieces; each piece is a 'cent' or 'penny', so the phrase refers to those small coins that make up the main currency.