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Glite Dictionary
monetary unit

monetary unit

1 3.5
A standard kind of money used in a country to measure value, like a dollar or yen
  • noun
  • /ˈmʌnɪˌtɛri ˈjunɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : unidad monetaria
  • Understanding how the monetary unit functions helps one appreciate the value of goods and services.

Examples

  • A Euro, by the way, is the monetary unit for those nations that use the Euro, just like the Dollar is the monetary unit in the United States.

    Blog text (9)

  • Currency derives its value in terms of the number of monetary units of account in existence and the market demand for that unit of account.

    Academic text (2018)

  • Well, consider this: the value of monetary units decreases every day.

    Blog text (27)

  • Further, clients should consider the change to the euro as an opportunity to reengineer processes to facilitate the adoption of the new monetary unit.

    Academic text (1999)

  • The Scandinavian Union, comprising Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, moved even further, giving the different national monetary units a common name: the krona.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Currently, pensions are paid in a monetary unit (Unidad de Fomento, or UF) that maintains benefits in real terms.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Interest rates, a quintessential market price, the rate at which one can transform current commodities or money units into future commodities or future money units, are not independent of forecasts about the future purchasing power of the monetary unit.

    Blog text (23)

  • The number of deaths averted can be expressed in monetary units by estimating the value of a statistical life (VSL), a measure of the productivity of an individual.

    Academic text (2005)

  • The euro is the main monetary unit used by many European countries.

  • In Japan, the yen serves as the primary monetary unit for transactions.

Synonyms

unit
vsmonetary unit
589 2.1

A fixed amount used to measure or count things

acts as the specific money measure rather than any general measurement
currency
vsmonetary unit
433 1.2

The money used in a country, like coins and paper notes

serves as the single standard measure for values within that system

Surface Forms

monetary unit singular
monetary units plural

Morphology

monetary + unit

The meaning 'the standard unit of currency' is directly and transparently derived from 'monetary' (pertaining to money) + 'unit' (a measurement standard), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the MWE. This adjective+noun composition is cross-linguistically common (e.g., Spanish unidad monetaria, French unité monétaire) and follows normal semantic composition, making it immediately comprehensible.

Etymology

Monetary unit began with monetary, which comes from the old name 'Moneta', a Roman goddess who watched over where coins were made, and unit, meaning 'one' or a single measure. So it gives the clear image of one basic piece or measure of money, which is why it means 'the standard money used in a country'.