# Franco

/ˈfɹæŋkoʊ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/franco
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a French person

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Archaic

a person from France.

For teachers: a demonym for a French person; often used in historical or literary contexts.

- In the old story, the traveler met a friendly franco at the border.
- The text refers to the merchant as a franco, highlighting his origins in the northern territories of France during the medieval period.

### 2. historical Italian currency

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Archaic

a type of money used in Lucca, Italy, for a short time in the early 1800s.

For teachers: a former currency unit of the Republic and Principality of Lucca, issued between 1805 and 1808.

- The museum displayed a rare silver franco from the Napoleonic era.
- Numismatists often seek the Lucchese franco due to its limited production run during the brief reign of Elisa Bonaparte.

### 3. Equatorial Guinean currency

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a name for the CFA franc used in Equatorial Guinea.

For teachers: a local designation for the CFA franc in Equatorial Guinea, historically valued at four ekwele.

- The trader calculated the price of the goods in franco.
- Following the economic transition, the franco became the primary unit of exchange, replacing the older ekwele in local markets.

## Examples

- The old documents refer to the settlers as Francos.
- In certain historical texts, the term Franco is used to distinguish French-speaking inhabitants from their neighbors.
- While the term has largely fallen out of common parlance, it survives in academic discussions regarding the Franco-Prussian War and other historical geopolitical alignments.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.