DictionaryAI

finance

USFY-nans/ˈfaɪnæns/fi-NANS/fɪˈnæns/

Pluralfinances (some meanings)

Verbfinances, financing, financed

7 meanings of finance

Practice

  1. 1
    managing moneynoununcountable
    The job of looking after money and other things people own.

    Like taking care of a garden, but you look after money instead of plants.

    She works in finance at a big bank in the city.

    Many people who work in banks have jobs in finance.

    UsageSay someone works in finance.

  2. 2
    provide moneyverbtransitive
    To pay for something or find the money for it, such as a project, business, or purchase.

    Like a friend lending you money to buy a bike so you can pay them back later.

    A bank agreed to finance the new factory.

    Her parents helped finance her college education.

    UsageSay how with through: financed through a bank loan.

  3. 3
    nouncountable or uncountable
    The money that a person, a family, a company, or a government has to use.

    Our family's finances were tight after Dad lost his job.

    The small theater closed because it could not find the finance to stay open.

    UsageUsually finances: our finances are tight.

    Similarfunds, money, resources, capital, coffers

  4. 4
    nounBritishuncountable
    A loan or plan that lets you buy something now and pay for it later.

    Like paying for a bike in small weekly amounts instead of all at once.

    The store offers finance so you can pay for the sofa monthly.

    They bought the car on finance and pay a little each month.

    UsageBuy something on finance and pay later; financing means the same.

    Similarcredit, loan

  5. 5
    studynoununcountable
    The study of how to manage money and other valuable things.

    Like learning the rules of a game before you play it: here the game is handling money.

    She is studying finance at university.

    Finance is a popular subject among business students.

Less common meanings

  1. 6
    verbobsoletetransitive
    To force someone to pay money in return for their freedom.
    Note
  2. 7
    verbobsoleteintransitive
    To pay money so that a captured person can go free.
    Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of finance apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It came through Old French from finer, meaning "to pay a ransom," from fin ("end"), from Latin fīnis. It first meant "ending," and later "paying off a debt." The "manage money" meaning began around 1770.

Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 5 facts