Word
franc
US/ˈfɹæŋk/
UK/fɹˈɑːnk/
Definition
n. the basic unit of money used in some French-speaking countries, like Switzerland. It was also the money used in France before they started using the euro.
n. the primary unit of currency in several countries, most notably Switzerland and various nations in Africa. Historically, it served as the national currency of France, Belgium, and Luxembourg prior to the adoption of the euro.
Examples
“The price of the watch is five hundred Swiss francs.”
“While traveling through the Alps, we had to exchange our euros for Swiss francs to pay for the mountain cable car.”
“The stability of the Swiss franc often leads investors to treat it as a safe-haven currency during periods of global economic volatility or geopolitical uncertainty.”
Examples
simple
“The price of the watch is five hundred Swiss francs.”
contextual
“While traveling through the Alps, we had to exchange our euros for Swiss francs to pay for the mountain cable car.”
complex
“The stability of the Swiss franc often leads investors to treat it as a safe-haven currency during periods of global economic volatility or geopolitical uncertainty.”
Usage
Often abbreviated as 'Fr.' or 'CHF' in financial contexts.
Real-World Examples
“They would also have to pay a 50 million West African CFA franc deposit, or approximately $90,000.” “Instead, French politicians provided 500,000 francs to the Society of Habous for construction costs to protect the appearance of religious neutrality.” Etymology
Borrowed from French franc. Doublet of Frank, frank, and farang.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/franc