What does "currency" mean?

1. (money system) the system of money that a country uses. 2. (general acceptance) the state of being commonly accepted, used, or believed by many people.

How do you use "currency"?

Countable when referring to different national systems; uncountable when referring to the concept of money. Usually uncountable in this sense.

currency

US //ˈkɝənsi// UK //kˈʌɹənsi// cur·ren·cy

1 money system (n.)
B1 Intermediate General-service

the system of money that a country uses.

a system of money in general use in a particular country.

Example

When you travel to Japan, you will need to exchange your money for the local currency.

Example

The sudden devaluation of the national currency led to a sharp increase in the cost of imported goods and services.

Usage

Countable when referring to different national systems; uncountable when referring to the concept of money.
- money
- legal tender
- cash
2 general acceptance (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic Formal

the state of being commonly accepted, used, or believed by many people.

the quality or state of being current; general acceptance, recognition, or prevalence.

Example

The idea that we only use ten percent of our brains still has a lot of currency today.

Example

The theory gained currency among sociologists in the late nineties, though it has since been challenged by more recent empirical data.

Usage

Usually uncountable in this sense.
- obsolescence

Origin

Borrowed from Medieval Latin currentia, from Latin currēns, from currō. By surface analysis, current + -cy.